"......"
Silence born from laughter must be a rare thing indeed.
Barbatos was laughing with such unshakable confidence as she confessed her own crimes that the crowd must have failed to catch a single word she'd said. She smiled with a mischievous, childlike grin.
"But you know what? Honestly, I'm a little disappointed. Even if I did kill Paimon, is it really okay to treat me, Barbatos, like this? Hm? You Demonkin have remarkably little loyalty, don't you? At this rate, my dedication and efforts look rather pathetic."
Barbatos sighed and shook her head back and forth.
"They say efforts for the people are always hollow, but this is disappointment of the highest order. Ugh, you pig-faced wretches burying your snouts in the filth and savoring it like perfume. When on earth will you develop a functioning sense of smell?"
Once more, a barrage of filth came flying across the square. Most of it boasted abysmal accuracy, landing at Barbatos's feet or veering wide. Barbatos didn't so much as twitch an eyebrow, staring straight ahead.
"I assassinated Paimon. Yes, that's true. But you seem to be under some sort of misconception—even if I deserve punishment, I refuse to receive it from a mob of filth like you. That's right. Because you have absolutely no right to execute me. None. Not the slightest!"
Barbatos lifted her chin and slowly surveyed the square from right to left.
"Instead, I stand here and accuse you demons—every last one of you wretched lives whose rotting innards stink to high heaven. First, you are lazy. You shirk your own duties onto others and call that wisdom. Dressing up cowardice and cunning as intelligence is the habit of slaves who are base by nature, and in that sense, the life you deserve is to live as slaves for eternity, cursing your own filthy bloodline."
Barbatos raised the corners of her lips.
"It's such a shame that slavery was abolished! Now that you can no longer call creatures born with human faces and mongrel bloodlines 'slaves,' you'll need to quickly coin a new word for yourselves! How about 'food waste'? You have much in common with your wretched lives—half-chewed and thrown away. You even share the trait of making onlookers want to vomit."
The uproar in the square grew ever more ferocious. But Barbatos only grew more spirited, humming with delight.
"That was only the first charge. There's plenty more to come. Did you really think I'd stop here after watching your sorry antics for thousands upon thousands of years? Second, you are stupid. I am nearly in awe of how content you are with your half-baked, middling knowledge. Not one of you has ever thoroughly considered anything to its conclusion to uncover the truth. You are the sort of imbeciles who, when your shackles are knocked down by a storm, build the very same shackles again—creatures who spend their entire lives in lukewarm water and take pride in their own intellectual sloth."
The citizens were now roaring at the top of their lungs, howling less like people and more like a pack of beasts. Veins stood out on their skin, and arms flailed up and down without restraint.
"Third and last—you are cowardly! Because you are lazy, you do nothing. Because you are stupid, you realize nothing. You run from everything, yet you don't even recognize that you are running. That is why your lives are cowardice itself. You who have never once lived a proper life! You boast of being innocent citizens, but in your very essence, you are a wicked people!"
Barbatos bellowed.
"Cut off my head and hang it in this square of Niflheim! And remember my sentencing forevermore! You worthless pigs—I, Barbatos, despise your laziness, your stupidity, and your cowardice, and I sentence you to hang yourselves!"
And then Barbatos burst into roaring laughter.
The Neutral Faction demon lords rushed in and tore the amplification artifact away from Barbatos. Her laughter did not stop—it echoed endlessly through the air. She was laughing like the ringing of city bells.
The interrogation was over. All six Plains Faction demon lords had confessed to their crimes.
The Plains Faction demon lords had confessed their crimes to save Barbatos, and Barbatos had accepted the blame to save her subordinates. This mutual sacrifice, however, had been destined as a tragedy from the very start. It was our victory.
There was no reason to hesitate and no reason to waver. I stood tall upon the podium and began my argument.
"Esteemed comrades. I can no longer stomach the sight of filthy murderers shamelessly boasting about their crimes. The following facts have been made abundantly clear."
I spoke deliberately, fixing my gaze primarily on Marbas. I raised a single finger.
"First, the Plains Faction sought to politically annihilate the Mountain Faction entirely. To carry this out, Barbatos engineered the betrayal of Demon Lord Morax, while Zepar plotted the defection of Demon Lord Belial. It is unmistakable that key figures within the Plains Faction moved with a clear objective in mind."
I raised a second finger.
"Second, the Plains Faction coerced the Grand Dukes of the Demon Realm into issuing the order to assassinate Paimon. Who exactly threatened the Grand Dukes remains a matter of some debate. However, given that every single Plains Faction demon lord knew of the assassination plot in advance, and that all of them confessed to being the executioner, it is easy to deduce that the previous assassination was not planned and carried out by any one individual, but was organized systematically at the level of the entire Plains Faction. The ones who killed Demon Lord Paimon were the Plains Faction itself."
I clenched my fist and swept my gaze across the square.
Tens of thousands of eyes and tens of thousands of emotions bore down upon me. Facing them all, I declared in a low voice:
"For the crimes enumerated above—I propose that every member of the Plains Faction be sentenced to beheading."
The citizens erupted into rapturous cheers.
There was no need for a provocateur. The people cried out for the death penalty in a single unified voice. There may have been a handful of citizens who had not abandoned their affection for Barbatos, but they were far too feeble to stand against that thunderous roar.
Above all, the fact that not a single Plains Faction demon lord had risen to defend himself appeared to the general public as conclusive evidence—proof that they had indeed orchestrated Paimon's assassination.
There was no room for defense.
Marbas called upon the other demon lords who had served as co-judges.
"Sitri."
"…I agree to the sentencing."
"Gamigin."
"Of course I agree. It's a shame it's beheading rather than burning at the stake."
"Vassago."
"I agree."
Marbas nodded.
"I also accept the sentencing. All four judges unanimously agree to the verdict — the entire Plains Faction is hereby declared guilty and sentenced to death by beheading. It is customary to grant a reprieve until the usual date of execution, however—"
Marbas spoke with solemn gravity.
"Given the extreme and malicious nature of this crime, which has inflicted tremendous harm upon the Demon Lord's army and, furthermore, upon Demon Realm society as a whole, there is no reason for hesitation — execution shall be carried out immediately. The Plains Faction shall receive their punishment right here and now."
Marbas raised his gavel and swung it like a hammer. A thunderous crack echoed through the hall, sealing the verdict. Immediately after, the Neutral Faction demon lords dragged Zepar up onto the dais.
I took the Sword of Bael from Daisy. It was slightly heavy, but I could manage to hold it. The sword adjusted its size somewhat to fit its wielder, so it was manageable. I held the blade inverted and activated an amplification magic.
The Neutral Faction demon lords forced Zepar to his knees with a harsh shove. When they removed his helmet, Zepar slowly looked around. Then his eyes met mine.
Zepar murmured candidly, as though he had already pieced together the entire situation.
"So that's how it is…"
A faint smile hung at the corners of Zepar's lips.
"Dantalion — I have just one last question. Will you answer me honestly?"
"I swear to speak the truth to any question you ask."
"What has become of Lord Barbatos?"
I stared into Zepar's eyes without expression. After contemplating the deep ashen grey within them, I spoke.
"He will be imprisoned in the frozen fortress for four hundred years. In exchange, four Plains Faction demon lords, including you, Brother Zepar, and Brother Beleth, will be executed. Brother Barbatos has been allowed to live — just as you wanted."
"……"
"Have you no regrets?"
Zepar shook his head.
"A life filled with nothing but regrets. No need to elaborate."
Zepar looked at me.
"Look after Barbatos, Dantalion. She's the gentlest woman you'll ever meet."
"......Which goddess would you like to offer your final rites to?"
"I'm sorry, but—"
Zepar bowed his head.
"I'm an atheist."
I closed my eyes briefly, then opened them. I gripped the sword hilt firmly and brought the blade down squarely against the nape of Zepar's neck. The sensation of bone splitting apart traveled vividly through my palm. With a soft thud, Zepar's head separated from his body and rolled across the wooden floor.
The citizens erupted in cheers. They chanted my name in unison—Dantalion. Amid that flood of shouting, a flash of blue light flickered for an instant, but I deliberately ignored it. The Neutral Faction demon lords dragged Zepar's corpse away.
Next was Beleth.
Led by the demon lords, Beleth was seated in the exact spot where Zepar had knelt. His helmet, too, was removed. Beleth glared at me, furrowing his brow.
"Some rude bastard got ahead of me in dying, huh."
"That would be Zepar."
Beleth let out a derisive snort.
"Born later than me but keeled over sooner—so that makes it my victory. And Lord Barbatos?"
"She'll be imprisoned in the frozen fortress of the Frozen Wastes for four hundred years."
"Heh heh. Good thing I won't have to suffer the disgrace of outliving my lord."
Then Beleth stretched his neck out long. It was his way of saying he wouldn't leave any last words. As far as I could recall, Beleth had never once uttered a goddess's name. Like Zepar, he would have no interest in reciting prayers as he met his end.
So rather than idle chatter, I raised my sword and brought it down in a clean arc. Beleth's head fell with a heavy, dull thud. A torrent of blood gushed out, thoroughly soaking the hem of my garment. I didn't bother wiping it off and simply waited, motionless, for the next one.
Then the next, and the next after that.
The Plains Faction Demon Lords meekly bowed their heads, asking only what had become of Barbatos. Each time, I answered that Barbatos had been sentenced to confinement.
I told them their little charade had succeeded—that because they had committed perjury, Barbatos's sentence had been lightened. Hearing my answer, the Demon Lords met their ends with satisfaction, as though they had made a pact.
They would vanish still clinging to nothing but lies. There could be no more efficient way to mock their deaths.
……
I stilled my heart.
Finally, the Neutral Faction Demon Lords brought forward a single girl.
Naturally, that girl's name was Barbatos.