The public trial in Niflheim proceeded exactly as planned.
Tens of thousands of Demonkin had gathered in the city's central plaza. Before their very eyes, Barbatos and every other Plains Faction Demon Lord would be tried. In ordinary trials, even after a verdict was reached, a brief grace period was granted before punishment was carried out. But this time, things were different.
The verdict would be handed down and execution carried out immediately. That was the arrangement agreed upon by the four Electors appointed as judges of this trial—Marbas, Sitri, Gamigin, and Vassago. I served as a kind of prosecutor, steering the proceedings.
In short, a rigged game.
There were no defense attorneys. The Plains Faction Demon Lords had to mount their own defense entirely by their own means. They did not even have the right to summon witnesses. More merciless than a military tribunal or an inquisition, this trial processed an unprecedented number of Demon Lords all at once.
"…Surely His Grace would not have ordered an assassination…"
"Do not let such blasphemy cross your lips. Over there stand His Graces Marbas and Vassago…"
Perhaps fifty thousand citizens had assembled. Since the Demon Lords were present, the Demonkin refrained from shouting or causing disturbances, but even the sound of whispered conversations among neighbors—when fifty thousand people whispered at the same time—was practically a great tremor in its own right.
"Dantalion."
Marbas, presiding over the tribunal, called my name. I moved closer to him, and Marbas whispered into my ear.
"I've entrusted this matter entirely to you, but is it going well?"
"Do not worry. The friendship of the Plains Faction is as solid as a fortress."
I replied with an air of detachment. In this trial, the Plains Faction had to be brought to ruin. Not only I—even Marbas was staking his political life on this.
"You don't have to trust me, Marbas. Trust the Plains Faction."
"I have always trusted you."
The reason we did not execute Barbatos behind closed doors was simple: it was because of the personal regard he commanded. Unless we laid bare his guilt in a public setting, the citizens of the Demon Realm would never believe that Barbatos had committed assassination.
Suspicion would inevitably arise that the Neutral Faction and the Mountain Faction had staged the whole affair. Even if they could not openly voice those doubts before us, suspicion would linger like dregs—stubborn and persistent. We could not afford to leave behind even a single element that might become a threat in the future…
"And above all, I trust in the truth."
Marbas fixed me with his gray eyes, staring intently.
"The truth is with us. Barbatos assassinated Paimon, and since Barbatos must be executed, the entirety of the Plains Faction must be dealt with as well. Don't you agree?"
"Yes, Sebastokrator. That is what we have all agreed upon."
"Hm."
Marbas closed both eyes.
"So this day has come at last. It's been a long time—or perhaps a short one—since the Second Crescent Alliance Army. But yes. Perhaps the ending was already decided back then."
Marbas must have been feeling particularly sentimental. He was handing down a death sentence to a comrade who had once led a legion alongside him. And yet, the fact that he did not waver spoke to this man's steadfastness……
He felt affection. He showed respect. But when he judged it to be the politically correct course, he would sever ties cleanly without hesitation. That was the Demon Lord called Marbas. It was precisely that composure that had made Marbas and me partners.
"Dantalion. Are you confident you'll have no regrets?"
"I'm confident at least that I won't be defeated by regret."
"……That will have to do."
Marbas slowly raised his eyelids. His pupils, darker than black, gleaming gray, Marbas rose from his chair. It meant the curtain was about to rise on today's grand stage.
"Listen! Demonfolk!"
Marbas's voice resonated far and wide, carried by amplification magic.
Like an organ, the timbre crushed and pressed down upon the air. A full fifty thousand citizens fell silent in an instant. The orc cradling a child who had come to watch, the witches who had been indignant and chattering with their companions, and the Grand Dukes of the Demon Realm who had been whispering among themselves in the front rows—all of them held their breath under Marbas's dominion.
"On this day, a grave and solemn truth shall be revealed!"
Marbas surveyed the plaza. No one could meet his gaze. Only the Elector judges seated on either side of Marbas could maintain their usual composure.
"To slay a Demon Lord is an unfathomable sin. And to resort to the vile scheme of assassination is an evil act that can never be forgiven! Among those gathered here today, one among you has committed that very evil!"
Gamigin broke into a wide, beaming smile.
Vassago gazed into the void with eyes full of contempt for everything.
Sitri, whose body had not yet fully recovered, clutched a crutch to his chest and stared straight ahead with an expressionless face.
I raised my head and gazed up at the sky. It was noon. A clear blue sky stretched endlessly overhead. The wyverns patrolling the square flapped their wings slowly against a backdrop of white clouds. It was perfect weather for someone to meet their end.
There was no need to worry. I would receive the Sword of Bael from Daisy, who was serving as my escort, and use it to behead Barbatos and the Plains Faction Demon Lords. With the power possessed by the Sword of Bael, decapitating Barbatos in a single strike was entirely possible.
"I, Marbas, do solemnly declare under my noble name: here, the truth shall be laid bare under the open sky, and evil deeds shall be punished without the slightest hesitation! You shall maintain solemn silence before this court!"
Hear ye.
"The trial of Demon Lord Barbatos is hereby convened!"
The public execution ceremony had begun.
Marbas took his seat and gestured with his hand.
"First, we shall interrogate the criminal Zepar. Bring him forth!"
Led forth by the Neutral Faction Demon Lords serving as guards, Brother Zepar ascended to the stand.
Brother Zepar was wearing a thin cloth garment. It could almost be mistaken for pure white undergarments. It was an outfit that utterly disregarded any notion of a Demon Lord's dignity or pride. The citizens murmured in shock at Brother Zepar's attire—and at the arm that had vanished to somewhere unknown.
"Remove the restraints."
The Neutral Faction Demon Lords removed a helmet-like device from Brother Zepar's head. It was a helmet that blocked sight and hearing, forcibly imposed on all Plains Faction Demon Lords at present. Once the helmet was removed, Brother Zepar's face was revealed—gaunt and haggard from three days' imprisonment.
"Dantalion. Begin."
"Yes, Your Highness."
I gazed at Brother Zepar without blinking.
This place could be described as an arena. A colosseum.
"……."
"……."
With tens of thousands of spectators watching and four judges presiding, Brother Zepar and I stood on the platform facing each other. Our purposes were in direct opposition. To expose Barbatos's guilt. And to prove Barbatos's innocence.
I had already set my trap three days ago.
"What is it you wish to say to me?"
"Please, confess your innocence. That is the only way the Plains Faction can survive."
"You know nothing."
Whether they would fall for it—that was the gamble.
In today's trial, there were two places where I had staked my bets. The first wager was against Brother Zepar and the other Demon Lords of the Plains Faction. The opponent in the second wager was Barbatos... In other words, I had to overcome two obstacles to claim a flawless victory.
That's right.
By choosing to execute Barbatos in the public square instead of quietly dealing with him behind closed doors, the possibility of my defeat had naturally arisen as well.
And so, it was a contest.
My chances of victory were overwhelmingly high—or at least, that was how I judged it—but there was undeniably a probability that the Plains Faction could emerge victorious as well. This wasn't a fight I could simply steamroll on my own terms.
Come at me with everything you've got, Zepar.
We are pointing invisible blades at each other. Don't expect me to treat you like an elder brother. I will hunt you down with everything I have.
"I, Dantalion, accuse Demon Lord Barbatos of being the one who assassinated Demon Lord Paimon."
My voice, too, spread across the square through amplification magic. The contents of the trial had already been partially disclosed, but that did nothing to stop the citizens from being horrified. Moreover, the shock would be compounded by the fact that I—famously known as Barbatos's first man—was the one accusing her.
"First, I will call the witnesses. Seven Grand Dukes of the Demon Realm have appeared as witnesses today. I request that all of them provide testimony."
"Permission granted. The witnesses shall come forward in the order called and stand at the witness stand."
The first to take the stand was the Grand Duke of the Serpents.
An aged Vampire ascended to the witness stand, attended by servants. Two of them unfurled large parasols to shield their master, since exposure to the midday sun was not a particularly pleasant experience for a Vampire.
"First, I solemnly declare to the honorable judges that I will testify solely to the truth. I swear upon the names of Apollo and Hades: should even a hair's breadth of falsehood be mixed into my testimony, the honorable judges shall punish me on behalf of the myriad gods, and every citizen present in this square today shall curse me according to the will of the multitude."
The Grand Duke of the Serpents bowed respectfully toward the Demon Lords who had taken the bench as judges. He greeted each of the four Demon Lords with a bow that was both deferential and swift, once each. Finally, he turned his back to them and inclined his waist deeply toward the square.
Once the ceremony was concluded, I questioned the Grand Duke.
"Grand Duke of the Serpents. In December of this year, you received a personal communication from Demon Lord Barbatos. Is that correct?"
"Yes, Your Excellency. I did indeed receive a secret communication from Lord Barbatos."
"What was the content of that communication?"
The Grand Duke glanced briefly across the square. He answered a beat too slowly, aiming to draw attention. Though he had hesitated only the slightest amount, the air in the square grew taut with tension in an instant.
"...I am afraid it would be presumptuous to speak of it."
"You have promised to speak nothing but the truth in this place today. Silence can never serve as a substitute for truth, for silence is nothing more than granting a reprieve to falsehood."
I fixed the Grand Duke with a stern glare. But our exchange had been rehearsed in advance, and the Grand Duke's expression of distress was exactly as scripted.
"Of course, I would not harbor even the faintest thought of lying or withholding before you, the most powerful sovereigns in the world. However, truth has a way of bringing harm upon the one who gives it voice."
"What are you trying to say?"
"Grant me assurance of my safety."
The moment the Grand Duke finished speaking, the square erupted. To openly demand safety in a courtroom was to insult the judges. Several citizens, calling out that he was rude, that he did not know his place, began pointing fingers and shouting.
"Silence."
Marbas spoke, and the commotion in the square died down. Marbas fixed the Grand Duke with a cold stare.
"You are our witness, and this is our court. We have already guaranteed your safety — do you require further assurance?"
"I am deeply sorry, Your Excellency. However, I wish to receive an absolute guarantee of safety regardless of the outcome of this trial."
"You have our promise."
Marbas rose halfway from his seat and posed his question.
"Last December. What did Barbatos communicate to you?"
"It was a matter concerning the late Lord Paimon, Your Excellency."
"State the specific content."
"……Barbatos…"
Grand Duke Doksa paused for a moment before speaking.
"Barbatos commanded me to assassinate Paimon."
——It was the instant a scream like an explosion erupted from the square.