An unusual undercurrent circulated through this assembly.
First, the fact of who was hosting the meeting was the problem. Until now, assemblies had been convened by a Demon Lord ranked fifth or higher.
No matter how quickly he had risen as the real power behind the Plains Faction, Dantalion was ranked seventy-first. He held the lowest position among all the Demon Lords. Yet this man had the audacity to announce he would host Walpurgis Night.
"No. Even cold water has its own order — how can he so rudely perpetrate such outrages?"
Several of the Demon Lords who received the invitations made no effort to hide their displeasure.
To them, Dantalion was, metaphorically speaking, a nouveau riche upstart. To Demon Lords who had lived for centuries at minimum, Dantalion — who had only recently started making a name for himself in the last few years — was hardly someone to admire. All said and done, he'd only been around for four or five years.
"What are you worried about? The higher-ranking Demon Lords will surely take care of it."
"They'll teach that arrogant brat a terrifying lesson."
They figured the assembly would naturally fall apart. All the higher-ranking Demon Lords had to do was refuse the invitations, and that would be that. A few even mocked Dantalion, saying he was about to destroy his own political standing.
However, things went in the exact opposite direction.
First, Demon Lord Barbatos, ranked eighth, announced he would attend.
Up to this point, it was something you could argue was plausible enough. Barbatos and Dantalion both belonged to the Plains Faction, after all. Moreover, the rumor that Barbatos was utterly smitten with Dantalion was rampant.
"Tch, tch. Barbatos got his tail wrapped around some guy…"
"When love blinds you, even the most clear-headed person falls apart."
The leader of the Plains Faction had been so thoroughly captivated by Dantalion that he'd forgotten all decorum and propriety. That was how several Demon Lords interpreted it.
Next, Demon Lord Gamigin, ranked fourth, expressed his intent to attend.
"Isn't Gamigin also said to have that sort of relationship with Dantalion?"
"Good grief! Have all the female Demon Lords lost their minds or something? This is absurd."
"Hmm, I guess Dantalion's equipment really is something then."
The Demon Lords scowled and lamented how things had come to this. Responding to a convocation issued by the seventy-first ranked Demon Lord—before anything about love or any of that nonsense—this was a matter of pride. Whores who had abandoned even their pride for the sake of romance… even that sort of gossip was making the rounds.
And then the fifth ranked Demon Lord, Marbas, publicly declared he would attend.
"……."
"……."
Even those Demon Lords who had been relatively uninterested in politics were beginning to feel, at this point, that something had gone deeply, fundamentally wrong.
"……Since Barbatos is attending, the entire Plains Faction will show up too."
"Weren't there roughly four unaffiliated female Demon Lords who follow Gamigin?"
"And now the Neutral Faction is joining in as well, which means…"
That meant a majority of Demon Lords would already be attending the assembly.
No—more importantly, the fact that Marbas had accepted the invitation was what truly mattered. As the leader of the Neutral Faction, Marbas was the one who had presided over Walpurgis Night until now. He was officially recognizing Dantalion's convocation.
Finally, Paimon of the ninth rank and Sitri of the twelfth rank announced their attendance.
The Mountain Faction—members of a group that, of all factions, should have been the most vehemently opposed, since this assembly was being held by the Plains Faction's power broker—was participating instead.
Now everything was clear.
"This isn't a spontaneous assembly!"
"The Plains Faction, the Neutral Faction, the Mountain Faction—and even Gamigin all coordinated this in advance!"
Plains Faction, including Barbatos: seventeen in total.
Unaffiliated, including Gamigin: five in total.
Neutral Faction, including Marbas: ten in total.
Mountain Faction, including Paimon: sixteen in total.
—The number of Demon Lords slated to participate in the assembly had already reached forty-eight.
Due to the war with the Crescent Alliance Army, the Demon Lords had temporarily dwindled to sixty-four in number. Those attending the assembly already exceeded two-thirds of all Demon Lords. With them alone, a 'new Crescent Alliance expedition' could be resolved.
"I don't know what this is about, but I must attend."
"Damn it — why are we being dragged around by the seventy-first ranked..."
With the exception of a very few, every single Demon Lord had joined the assembly.
Among them was Bael, ranked first among the Demon Lords.
When high-ranking Demon Lords participated in an assembly, seats were usually set aside for them.
The faction leaders could be excluded since they already clustered together with their subordinates. Agares, ranked second, had not shown his face at all lately, so he was out too. That meant six of the top ten ranked Demon Lords ought to be given seats of honor.
But this time, no seats of honor had been prepared.
No one failed to understand what that signified.
"......"
"......"
Perhaps because of that, the ballroom in Niflheim had been deathly quiet up until the moment the assembly was set to begin.
The Plains Faction, the Neutral Faction, the Mountain Faction — dozens upon dozens of Demon Lords all maintained their silence. Those who belonged to no faction glanced around nervously, watching the reactions of those nearby. Even they did not know what they were waiting for. But one thing was certain: something had begun.
In the center of the hall stood a single emaciated man.
Everyone kept silent yet kept stealing glances at the man. Was he unaware that all eyes were on him? The man — Dantalion — simply kept both eyes calmly shut. The air around Dantalion alone was serene, as though an entirely different atmosphere enveloped him.
The herald cried out.
"Ranked third, the Demon Lord of Equity, Lord Vassago!"
The hall was so deathly still that the herald's voice boomed far too loudly. Moments later, a young nobleman strode through the great doors. His face was so white it bordered on pallid.
"......?"
Vassago seemed to have noticed the strange atmosphere in the hall — his brow furrowed. Before long, he discovered that the seats of honor, which should have been prepared, were nowhere to be found. Even the Great Demon Lord Bael was standing on the far side of the hall without a chair.
Vassago surveyed the Demon Lords around him, then fixed Dantalion with a cold stare. He strode toward Dantalion.
"How discourteous. One would think that someone ranked around seventieth would know basic etiquette without needing to be told."
Dantalion slowly opened his eyes. A faint smile played across his lips.
"Lord Vassago. Is something the matter?"
"Something the matter? Something the matter, you say?"
Vassago replied icily.
"Everything is the matter. The fact that you, of all people, had the audacity to convene this assembly is the matter. The fact that every one of these Demon Lords has been dancing to the tune of this brat is the matter. And the fact that you had the gall to talk back to my reprimand is the matter. Barbatos!"
Vassago turned his head as though the one he addressed wasn't even worth his attention. At the end of his gaze stood Barbatos. She had just snatched the wine Zepar was pouring and gulped it down in one swig. Barbatos blinked.
"Hm? Why are you calling me, you old geezer?"
"How did you manage your subordinates to let things spiral into this mess? If you thought this situation would just blow over, you're sorely mistaken. You will bear responsibility for this."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Barbatos took a sip of her wine.
"Sounds an awful lot like you're implying I was pulling strings behind the scenes. I only showed up because I heard there was a gathering. Don't get the wrong idea."
"That's not even funny. There are laws and proper procedures in this world. I can't even imagine how the Demonkin will laugh at us when they see this spectacle. And you think you can dodge responsibility after leaving your subordinates completely unsuppressed—"
Suddenly, laughter rang out.
The Demon Lords turned their gaze. Dantalion was stifling his laughter, his shoulders trembling. This display of insolence made Vassago's expression harden.
"...You."
"My apologies. It's just that the way you're putting it, Lord Vassago, is rather entertaining."
"Entertaining?"
Vassago clenched his fists. Blue mana rippled across his entire body. The aura was dense enough to bring the entire hall crashing down at any moment, yet Dantalion remained perfectly composed, as though he didn't feel a thing.
"Yes. How could it not be entertaining? Being Barbatos's subordinate? If it were a matter of serving him as a commanding officer in wartime, that would be one thing — but how could I possibly be Barbatos's underling?"
"What?"
"We are Demon Lords, each and every one of us. Every single one is a sovereign representing the Demonkin. Whether it's Barbatos or anyone else, we would never serve an emperor above ourselves. Lord Vassago — could it be that you're laboring under some sort of misconception?"
Vassago looked to Barbatos. But Barbatos simply flashed a wide grin, as if to say, *What about it?* Vassago was utterly dumbfounded.
"Lord Vassago. If the world has laws and procedures, the only one that applies to Demon Lords is that we exist unto ourselves. You're saying the proper order of things is to establish rankings and then serve whoever holds a higher rank as emperor? That reeks of gutter filth."
Vassago gritted his teeth.
"You've got a loose tongue, and you're using it however you please."
"I was born with a mouth, after all. It would be a shame not to use it, wouldn't it?"
Dantalion smiled.
"Your Lordship is mistaken. If the Demonkin are laughing at us, it's not because the seventy-first ranked Demon Lord convened an assembly. What truly disgusts them is the spectacle of people squabbling over rank and factions and pointing fingers over who's to blame — all before the assembly has even begun."
"......"
"Frankly, it's so pathetic I'm at a loss for words. Since the beginning of time, since when have Demon Lords ever had rankings? Elevating something so artificial as though it were absolute — if that isn't a child's game, I don't know what is. It's no wonder the demonkin are growing tired of us."
Vassago's shoulders trembled with rage.
The rankings of the Demon Lord army were set by two people — Bael and Vassago. To criticize them was tantamount to a frontal assault on Vassago himself.
"So you mean to draw blood right here and now?!"
"My apologies, Lord Vassago. I'm not quite finished speaking. You said the Demonkin would mock this assembly, but I have to wonder — is that truly what will happen?"
Dantalion lightly clapped his hands.
A group filed in through the main gate. Werewolves, catfolk, foxfolk, elves — sixteen merchants representing Niflheim. At their head stood the owner of the Kunkuska Trading Company, Ivar Lodbrok.
"What the..."
"These are citizens representing Niflheim. They provided all manner of assistance in organizing this Walpurgis Night. Did Your Lordship truly think I, a Demon Lord, could simply open these doors on my own authority?"
The merchants, led by Ivar Lodbrok, bowed respectfully toward the Demon Lords.
Dantalion smiled.
"Walpurgis Night is a momentous occasion that may determine the course of our Demon Lord Army's movements. The army's actions are directly tied to the lives of every demon. You all have every right to know what transpires at Walpurgis Night."
"......"
Vassago cast a sidelong glance around the hall. That was when he noticed positions that had previously gone unobserved.
To the left of the venue — Beleth, ranked thirteenth, was watching them from a posture that would let her spring into action at any moment.
To the right — Sitri, ranked twelfth, had placed her hand on the hilt of a sword strapped at her waist.
And directly behind them, Gamigin, ranked fourth, had already been channeling magical power for some time now.
'...Tch.'
Vassago gritted his teeth. Beleth and Sitri were both martial-arts-type Demon Lords who represented their respective factions. On top of that, Gamigin was a grand mage. In other words, the moment Gamigin unleashed a spell to pin him in place, the two martial artists would seize that opening to strike.
And that was before accounting for the heavyweight presences that dominated Niflheim itself.
—Go ahead. Try something reckless. If you're confident you can withstand three Demon Lords attacking you simultaneously. And if you don't care that whatever disgrace you cause spreads across the entire Demon Realm.
That was the message Dantalion was conveying.
In that instant, Agares flashed through Vassago's mind. If Agares were here, he could have steamrolled past every martial-arts Demon Lord and wreaked havoc without a care. But it was none other than the Dantalion standing before him now — along with the combined forces of the Plains Faction, the Neutral Faction, and the Mountain Faction — who had defeated and expelled Agares.
If banishing Agares three years ago had been preparation for this very moment —.
Just when had the factions, who had been too busy fighting each other to breathe, formed an alliance?
"You. Since when did you—!"
"That is enough, Vassago."
A deep, resonant voice came from behind them.
It was Bael, the Demon Lord ranked first.
Bael spoke in a tone laced with amusement.
"I took you for a mere swindler, yet you put on quite the entertaining charade. Very well, Dantalion. What is it you wish to achieve by convening this assembly?"
Bael's voice settled low against the floor as though it carried weight. Despite its quietness, it had the power to reach even the most remote corner of the hall. Dantalion faced the voice head-on and spoke calmly.
"The reason I have convened this Walpurgis Night, Lord Bael, is to hold you accountable for your sins."