Barbatos whispered.
"Don't make eye contact. Ever. They'll soil themselves."
I was a bit confused. In my experience, Demon Lords were generally the type who answered to no one. Just because someone outranked them didn't mean they'd use honorifics or anything. They rarely greeted anyone politely. Yet here were all these Demon Lords bowing the moment Bael showed up.
"It's not a greeting. They're pretending to greet him."
"What do you mean?"
"If you make eye contact with Uncle Bael, you feel terror. Sheer, gut-wrenching dread. They don't want to feel that, so they fake a polite bow to naturally look away."
It was shocking. So the Demon Lords would rather perform exaggerated courtesy than meet Bael's gaze. Just how terrifying was this guy, that beings proud enough to take a leak on the entire Himalayan mountain range would bow and avert their eyes?
"He's that scary?"
"Curious? Go ahead and stare."
Barbatos muttered flatly.
"I won't stop you, but wear a diaper first."
The great doors of the assembly hall creaked open. The hinges groaned. Metal scraping against metal tore through the air with a dreary shriek. At the same time, twenty chandeliers hanging from the ceiling shattered in a thunderous crash. The hall plunged into instant darkness. The only illumination was the faint light seeping through the gap in the opened doors. I quickly lowered my head.
*Thud.*
Footsteps. Slow, deliberate steps, one at a time. Each footfall claimed the ground beneath it as territory. They drew a perfectly straight line from the assembly hall doors to the far end without a single deviation. Every step sent a tremor through the air. That man filled the entire cavernous building with a single footstep. The sound of his walking filled the hall, and just as it was about to fade, another footstep echoed. Like music that refused to stop flowing. It was as though he were holding back, being considerate so the hall wouldn't crumble under the sound.
He came to a halt midway through the hall. With my head lowered, I couldn't see exactly what was happening. But judging by his position, he'd stopped near the Neutral Faction's area.
"Marbas. You've been well."
"...Thanks to you. Bael."
"The path of neutrality is a lonely one. I hope your loneliness is not that of a lone sailor adrift at sea, but the loneliness of a captain who must chart the ocean path alone."
The footsteps continued. This time, they stopped near where the Mountain Faction was gathered.
"Paimon. You're as beautiful as ever."
"I'm honored... Lord Bael."
"Strategy doesn't refer only to combat. Surely you too have ideals that look far ahead. Even if you move slowly, I'm cheering you on as you take steady steps toward your ideals."
The footsteps continued. The sound approached right up close, then stopped.
He spoke in a low voice toward Barbatos.
"Barbatos. The eternal pure warrior."
A chill ran through me. The voice buzzed in my ear—no, inside my ear. It felt like it was rattling my brain straight through the ear canal. My sense of balance collapsed from the tips of my toes. I desperately held my posture. If I hadn't heeded Barbatos's warning beforehand and tensed the muscles in my lower body, I would have collapsed in an embarrassingly ugly fashion.
[The Demon Lord Bael activates the skill <Munmu Geokha (Civil-Military Domination)>.]
[You resist the skill based on your Strength and Intelligence stats.]
[The die of fortune fell, but by some miraculous probability, it froze in midair! You have failed to resist due to an 'overwhelming' stat disparity. A penalty is applied.]
'So that's how it is. He'd be at least that strong.'
I wasn't particularly shocked. As far as I knew, Bael didn't have a skill called Munmu Geokha in Dungeon Attack. Apparently, in this godforsaken world, Bael possessed far more skills than in the game.
Just as I was quietly accepting the stat penalty, something shielded me from the front. It was Barbatos's shadow. She had subtly placed herself between me and Bael.
"It's been a while, mister. Still full of vigor, I see?"
[The Demon Lord Barbatos activates the skill <Jeonbeom Muhyo (Tactic Nullification)>.]
[Skill negated! The penalty effect is erased.]
I was startled. What the hell was this dumb loli doing?!
Even though I'd officially decided to align with the Plains Faction, having others take notice of me would be troublesome. I was weak. The weak didn't have the right to openly reveal themselves and act. A weakling's natural posture was to hide behind the strong and scramble to survive. If Barbatos sheltered me too conspicuously, it was essentially advertising to everyone around us that she and I had some kind of unusual relationship!
Sure enough, Bael's voice came out with an amused tone at Barbatos's behavior.
"Oh ho."
"You don't even have a wife, yet you walk around with a body on fire — I was honestly curious. Could it be this? This?"
Barbatos laughed vulgarly. Even though she couldn't lean down to peek, she was probably making some obscene gesture for fun. Bael laughed low as well.
"My sexual lifestyle is, at the very least, not something I can proudly broadcast to others. I am both surprised and intrigued that you take such an interest in my private affairs. If it would not constitute an oversight on my part, might I inquire whether yours is a plentiful one?"
"Oh, at least in that department, mine is far more colorful and entertaining than those Paimon whores over there, or than you, old man. Honestly, I can't really picture you having sex. Thrusting in and out, thrusting in and out, squelch, and then it's over — that's the mental image I get."
"Kahaha!"
The roar of laughter struck the meeting hall. He could feel the entire building shaking from corner to corner. Something unpleasant prickled down his spine.
The Demon Lords nearby chimed in with Bael's laughter, tittering cautiously. They were playing along with his mood — honestly. Looking at this scene, who could imagine that every last one of them was a Demon Lord who brought terror to the Human Realm?
"I, Bael, have laughed this heartily for the first time in ages. I can only be grateful that the one who tosses jokes at me still draws breath. A pure warrior — how could I not love you?"
His voice grew one shade deeper still.
"To one who willingly embraces life, butterflies and soap bubbles — and among mortals, those who are like butterflies and soap bubbles — seem to know the most about living."
"Oh, come on, old man. You're great and all, but sometimes I can't tell if you're talking or reciting poetry. Sometimes I even think this — we're actually speaking two completely different languages, yet by some miraculous probability, we just happen to understand each other by chance."
"What can be done? My life has simply gone on too long, so my way of speaking has fallen out of step with the young ones these days."
Barbatos grumbled that she'd been alive for two thousand years too. Bael laughed once more.
"I shall let your little performance slide."
"......"
There was no need to say what he was letting slide. He meant he would make no separate mention of Barbatos shielding the MC. Bael abruptly left our side and walked off toward the other end of the room. He was now exchanging greetings with the six supreme Demon Lords — if you could call it greeting, given that he was one-sidedly firing questions at them and demanding answers……
Barbatos muttered.
"Whew. I thought I was dead for sure."
"Hey, seriously, why the hell did you do that?"
"Babting. Shut your mouth. Didn't you see that old man staring you down?"
What?
"...He was glaring at me? Why?"
"Damn if I know. If he'd left you alone, you'd have been squashed flat. You're pathetic and weak, and instead of being grateful, you just keep chirping back."
Barbatos pouted his lips.
It made no sense. I couldn't recall doing anything that would attract Bael's attention. Had we even had any contact in the first place? The only thing that came to mind was the incident where I killed Andromalius—fellow Demonkin, no less—and it was hard to believe the #1 ranked Demon Lord would show that much interest over something like that.
Above all, I had a rough idea of Bael's personality. In the game, Bael was an even more die-hard warmonger than Barbatos. No, that wasn't the right word—he was a champion of conflict. He believed the meaning of life lay solely in battle, and that the decline of the Demonkin was none other than the disappearance of war. A Great Demon Lord who worshipped the blood-soaked battlefield more than anyone. That was Bael's true nature.
'Could he have caught on to the Black Death rumor I spread?'
This was bad. I had too little information. Not enough material to make a judgment... If only Bael's Affinity were above 20, I could at least peek at his mental state, but even pulling up the Status Window, the Hologram showed nothing but monstrous HP, attack power, and defense. For now, I set my judgment aside. Damn it—felt like a pitch-black serpent had curled up in the back of my skull.
"I extend my words of gratitude to you all, who have gathered here despite these turbulent times."
Bael took his seat at the center of the head table. In the air, five or six fireballs materialized, casting a dim glow over the meeting hall in place of a chandelier.
Bael paused for a moment, surveying the room. I couldn't bring myself to face him directly, so I kept my head slightly lowered.
Most of the Demon Lords had adopted a posture similar to mine. Marbas of the Neutral Faction, Paimon of the Mountain Faction, Barbatos of the Plains Faction... Only a small handful sat with their backs ramrod straight, staring directly at where Bael sat. The gaze is power. I never imagined that maxim would weigh this heavily.
"The path of Demon Lords should, by rights, be determined through lengthy deliberation and deep contemplation. The supreme Demon Lords should refrain from interfering with discussion and allow you to reach decisions of your own accord—that is the proper course. However, this once, I, Bael, shall express my own will."
A ominous silence descended, as though gravity itself had intensified. A heavy voice resonated through the meeting hall.
"War is declared!"
With that single phrase, the 8th Crescent Alliance Army was formed.
While everyone remained frozen, Bael began naming the Demon Lords one by one. An irresistible command held sway over all sixty Demon Lords gathered here.
"Ranked 9th, Paimon."
"Yes."
Paimon strode to the center of the meeting hall with elegant yet swift steps. She lifted the edges of her dress and offered a graceful curtsy.
"This girl, Paimon. I humbly accept your command."
"I appoint you as commander of the First Corps. Lead the Mountain Faction and march upon the Teuton Kingdom and the Batavia Republic! Tear apart their very lungs so that the human race may never live again to taste the open air. I hereby grant you full autonomous command over the Mountain Faction."
"Yes."
Paimon bowed deeply at once. Paimon — the foremost advocate of anti-war doctrine and pro-humanism — had prostrated herself without a moment's hesitation. For someone like me, who knew that in Dungeon Attack she had pursued pro-human strategies right up until the moment her life ended, this was nothing short of staggering. That Paimon, of all people, had affirmed without any resistance that she would invade the human nations!
"Fifth in rank, Marbas."
"Ah."
Marbas advanced to the meeting hall with solemn steps. He did not bow at the waist, but placed his right hand over his heart. It was a military salute.
"Noble Marbas. I request a military appointment."
"I appoint you as commander of the Second Corps. Lead the Neutral Faction and march upon the Anatolia Empire and the Kingdom of Polithunia. Ravage the eastern reaches of the continent."
"The east of this continent shall henceforth be known by the name Desert."
Marbas spoke as though swearing an oath to himself.
"Second in rank, Agares."
"Yeees."
The woman who had been sitting in the seat of honor rose to her feet. She strode to the center of the meeting hall with a playful, swaggering gait. She brought a hand to her forehead with a sharp flick — her military salute.
"The Earthshaker, Agares. Go ahead, say whatever you like."
"I appoint you as commander of the Third Corps. Gather all unaffiliated Demonkin and crush the Kingdom of Moscow and the Kalmar Union! Let the humans know that the north of this continent was once the domain of eternal snow."
"Eugh, I hate the cold... But I suppose there's nothing to be done. From now on, humans will never again set eyes on the northern reaches of the continent."
She spread her arms in an exaggerated gesture and sank to one knee.
"Third in rank, Vassago. I appoint you as commander of the Fourth Corps. Together with Valefor, sixth in rank, annihilate the navy of the Vernicia Kingdom!"
"That will suffice."
A man nodded his head and rose to his feet in the center of the meeting hall.
"Fourth in rank, Gamigin. I appoint you as commander of the Fifth Corps. Together with Amon, seventh in rank, provide rear support for all divisions! You two are to remain within the territory of us Demon Lords."
"My, my. You only give me the boring jobs, how cruel. Lord Bael is so mean."
The woman stood in the center of the meeting hall with a faint smile, yet her posture did not deviate from proper military etiquette.
Before long, Bael's voice turned toward them.
"Eighth in rank, Barbatos."
"I was on edge wondering when you'd call me."
Barbatos strode forward with confident steps. Even among those towering Demon Lords, she chattered away cheerfully.
"My assignment's obvious, isn't it?"
"I appoint you as commander of the Sixth Corps. You are to advance toward the Habsburg Empire. I grant you full command of the Plains Faction."
"Hell yes, now we're talking! I'll chew every last human to bits!"
She placed her right hand over her chest. With that gesture, the Mountain Faction, Neutral Faction, unaffiliated members, supreme Demon Lords, and the Plains Faction—all had been accounted for. Only one person remained.
The heat among the Demon Lords intensified. Battle cries began to stir. A Crescent Alliance Army in which every Demon Lord participated—it was the first such thing in two thousand years. Pillage, conquest, destruction. Words crafted for the Demon Lords above all else now prowled through the hall. It was as though they could already smell blood and were drooling at the thought.
"And I, Bael,"
Bael declared,
"announce myself as commander of the Seventh Corps and Supreme Commander. I shall annihilate the Frank Empire single-handedly. The Demon Lord army will be divided into seven corps, bringing forth seven streams of annihilation and seven streams of screams. Comrades! Make the humans realize who the true masters of this world always were!"
He rose and drew the sword strapped to his back.
"Crescent Alliance Army! March!"
Immediately after, the roar of beasts echoed throughout the meeting hall.