Chapter 132: Chapter 131: An Unpleasant Reunion

Demon tribe.

Using the great power possessed by the Demon King, a race of plunderers from another dimension had infiltrated this world by breaking through the dimensional barrier.

As long as their desires permit, they could grow indefinitely, becoming an ever-increasing threat to humanity over time.

Among the members of such Demon King’s army, excluding the Demon King himself, everyone agreed that the strongest among the demon tribe was collectively referred to as the ‘Four Heavenly Kings’.

“M-M-Me…”

It was said that Mephisto, ranked second among them, had appeared.

Realizing this, a gasp of horror began to escape from the young saint of the Meter Order, Yui.

“Why is Lord Mephisto here?!”

“Shh.”

Merilyn quickly covered the mouth of the young saint with her hand.

The young saint trembled at the force, but Merilyn paid no mind, quietly observing the atmosphere around them.

This place was the Saint’s room, connected to the Meter Order’s prayer room.

Merilyn came here while wandering the city, having been asked by the Meter Order to perform music needed for a holy song and also to gather concerning information lately.

The Meter, aside from the empire’s state religion, Friga, had been recently gaining influence.

She accepted the task, hoping to gather much information, but what she actually found was a fellow demon tribe member playing the role of a saint in the order.

Priests, who would not be satisfied even if they beat a demon tribe member to death, were venerating one as a saint—a concern for a fellow demon tribe member, wouldn’t it?

“O merciful saint of Meter, it is regretful that a humble minstrel like myself lays hands on your noble body, but nevertheless, I must convey a message to you.”

“Mmph, mmph.”

The young saint, her mouth covered by a hand, had tears welling up in her eyes.

Soon, Merilyn squinted her eyes, beginning to glare at her.

“You are aware that this is human territory, right?”

“Uh, umph, mph.”

“Being in the valuable position of a saint means human influences are involved, but it seems you’ve been hiding your identity in public… It would be best if we didn’t reveal each other’s identities openly, right?”

“…Mph.”

Her head nodded strenuously, with her mouth still covered.

Seeing the trembling of her body subside, Merilyn gradually relaxed her hand, covering her mouth.

“Alright, let’s quietly… reveal our identities to each other quietly and have a light conversation.”

“Yes, yes. Please, speak, Lord Mephisto…”

Saint Yui was finally able to breathe and speak…

No, at least in front of her, there was no need to hide her identity.

“What is your name?”

“I am Yui-noi, a low-ranking member of the Demon King’s army.”

A young demon, looking to be only about 10 years old at most.

This young girl, who hadn’t even learned to drain life energy, likely only did trivial chores in the Demon King’s army.

“It doesn’t seem you infiltrated human society on the Demon King’s army’s orders… Why is a small and young being like you playing the role of a saint in the order?”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to say! All the humans here are crazy!”

Yui-noi continued to ramble on in response to her question.

From the rough explanation, some crazy hero had venerated her as a saint, and then, fanatics flocked to the order, massively expanding its size to what it was now.

“Uh, sob. Humans are scary… If I don’t escape quickly, I’ll surely be devoured.”

“…Well, from what I saw earlier, they seemed to be quite fond of you.”

“Fond? Don’t say something so absurd! Lord Mephisto, you’ve seen it too! Such madness, even the Demon King’s army has never…!”

-Thud!

Her mouth closed with a sensation of her heart dropping.

The ensuing chill must be due to the murderous intent emanating from the demon before her.

“Are you saying that to me, that it makes no sense?”

“Gasp!”

Yui-noi gasped, her voice distorted.

Then, Merilyn, standing up, began to close the distance to Yui-noi, leading with her head.

“Miss Yui-noi. Do you not know who stands before you?”

“Yes, I know. You are Mephisto Rage, ranked second in the Demon King’s army…”

“Knowing that well, yet you, a mere lowly soldier, dare talk back to me. To me, a top executive of the Demon King’s army?!”

Naturally, one would feel displeased.

After all, there was no such thing as racial affection among the demon tribe, and such a being, tricked by humans, would only be seen as an object of ridicule, not of salvation.

Furthermore, if such a being posed a risk of ensnaring the army, they were considered a primary target for elimination.

“Being toyed with by humans doesn’t look good… Should I just nip this in the bud before any troublesome events unfold?”

“Eeeeek! I was wrong! Please save meee!”

The young demon, reaching the limit of her fear, collapsed and burst into tears.

Merilyn, looking down with cold eyes, then smiled bitterly and quietly patted Yui-noi’s head.

“Huhu, it was a joke, so don’t cry.”

“Uh, eh?”

“Coincidentally, I am no longer a part of the Demon King’s army, so there’s no need for me to deal with traitors or adhere to the army’s norms.”

Blink, blink.

Yui-noi, with tears in her eyes, stared blankly at Merilyn.

By then, the murderous intent that had surged earlier had long since vanished like a lie, but the truth of what was just said also came as a considerable shock to Yui-noi.

“Leaving the Demon King’s army, who?”

“Who else but me?”

“E-Eh?! Why would Lord Mephisto…? Why would the second-in-command of the Demon King’s army…?!”

“If you’re curious, find out for yourself. Using your position as a saint, you should be able to easily gather information that humanity has investigated.”

But Merilyn dismissed Yui-noi’s question as unimportant.

Even that was shockingly received by the young demon, but the initial reason for meeting was to see if someone’s influence had led this young demon to act as a saint.

If such a connection was not found, there would be no obligation for her to intervene in the girl’s circumstances.

“Anyway, as I am not particularly hostile towards humanity nor working for the Demon King’s army at the moment, I will not interfere further with your situation. So, if we meet again, please treat me lightly.”

“Ah, aah! Please wait a moment! Lord Mephisto! Lord Meph–”

-Ding!

“Ugh!”

A lyre string snapped in an attempt to shake off the girl following her as she was about to leave the room.

As the young demon fell, exposed to a special noise audible only to the demon tribe, the disciples near the entrance, belatedly aware of the commotion, began to approach Merilyn.

“We heard the Saint’s scream just now, what happened?”

“It seems the Saint, who was seeing me off, tripped and fell. Could you please tend to her injuries for a moment?”

“Ah, yes, of course!”

The disciples hurried into the room without suspicion.

She worried that some disciples might have overheard, but fortunately, since she had laid a spell to block noise from the time she entered the room, it seemed unlikely to be a problem.

‘If that child prioritizes her own life, she wouldn’t spread the word about this.’

Of course, survival was paramount before desires, so she was very fearful.

She might spend her days in tears after she left, but to Merilyn, that was of no concern.

What was most important to her now was how to manage the relationship with the person she loves…

…and to eliminate anything that could be a threat to him, as much as she could.

“Would you like to take a newspaper?”

“…Keep the change as a tip.”

Merilyn tossed a coin to a nearby newspaper-selling delivery boy.

Leaving the rejoicing boy behind, Merilyn then focused her attention on the content of the newspaper she held.

‘Was everything I’ve recently investigated true?’

The war that took place at the Dragon’s Tomb not long ago.

During that war, the remaining two knights of the Undead Legion fought a direct frontal battle with the Demon King’s army, alongside the Corpse Lord.

And during the process, the information that became known to humanity was that new Four Heavenly Kings had ascended within the Demon King’s army, and, indirectly, that the existing Four Heavenly Kings were either dismissed or had died…

‘The new executives of the Demon King’s army are speculated to be not from the demon tribe but an orc of mixed blood and a demon of gluttony… Well, moving on.’

Though other well-known members of the demon tribe had taken their places, they were considered not worth her attention as they were young and not even pureblood demons like the former Four Heavenly Kings.

What needed attention was whether the Demon King’s army posed a significant threat of invading human territories, and if there were any signs of her former lord moving directly.

[The Corpse Lord had shown herself on the battlefield, but the Demon King’s appearance remains unseen. With his identity hidden for over ten years, some experts optimistically speculate that the Demon King’s condition has weakened, leading to a reclusive life…]

‘Weakened? The Demon King?’

Nonsense.

Rather, he was an absolute being living emptily every moment, unable to control his own power; how could humanity underestimate her former lord so much?

If he were to move, not only humanity but also the Undead Legion, the beastmen, and the vampires could all be annihilated overnight.

How could humans dare to gauge an absolute being who could directly achieve divine powers worshipped by the order?

‘…My Lord, Demon King.’

The fact that he had not moved until now brought relief, yet bitterness enveloped a corner of her heart.

Even though he was someone she had sworn lifelong allegiance to before meeting the person who awakened love in her, it was ironic that now she saw him as a threat and guarded against his existence at every moment.

‘When I meet you again, how will I face you, I wonder?’

However, this period of absence probably wouldn’t last much longer.

If the current emptiness becomes unbearable, he might finally lose his sanity and move to destroy everything in this world.

So, she must also devise some plan in preparation for that time.

-Rustle.

While continuing her investigation to scrutinize the movements of the Demon King’s army with such a resolution, Merilyn suddenly felt a suspicious presence nearby, and her steps halted.

‘…That man, he’s not human.’

Yes, another race disguised as herself was strolling through the village.

A man in a black suit and cloak, with a dignified gentleman’s air. He felt familiar because she had seen him once before.

Certainly, it was the vampire who had shown interest in her and the person she adored, offering tickets to use a theater during their reunion dinner.

‘No, he’s not just any youngster.’

Just as purebloods among the demon tribe were called such, without mixed blood, the vampires who had cultivated their power the longest were called ‘True Ancestors’.

The being before her could be called a True Ancestor. Despite their vulnerability to sunlight, their mere presence on the streets during the day made that clear.

However, enduring was one thing; it didn’t mean it was okay.

‘…Suspicious.’

Of course, vampires were of no concern, but knowing they had an interest in her love, she couldn’t just let it slide.

Thinking it best to follow just in case, Merilyn started to quietly trail him, concealing her presence.

Through the crowd, and gradually towards a secluded path with fewer people…

-Thump, thump.

Just as she thought to approach slowly, she began to feel her heart beat violently.

It was what one might call a ‘sense of danger’.

But that feeling was not because of the vampire moving deeper into the alley, but rather emanating from the vicinity of the path he was taking.

‘Why?’

Does that vampire not notice the energy, just passing through this street? Or was he withdrawing because it was beyond his interest?

Either way, it was a power Merilyn could not overlook.

A power incomparable even to True Ancestors, aware that something was afoot in this vicinity.

-Crack.

Merilyn, sensing that dense power, ran towards it and physically broke through the barrier encircling the area.

The barrier, designed to disrupt the minds of intruders, was digging into her psyche, attempting to turn her steps away even now.

Yes, a demon tribe member with great power, enough to interfere with the psyche of a pureblood like herself, was manipulating things behind a barrier here.

“…Oh?”

As if to show she wasn’t the only one to recognize the opponent.

The red-haired demon tribe member, reaching out to a man who collapsed on the ground, began to wear a welcoming expression towards her.

“Oh my, who do we have here~? If it isn’t our Mephi~?”

“Our Mephi, it’s been too long♥ How have you been? You haven’t forgotten your sister, have you?”

“…Yasmo.”

Death Monger Demon, Yasmo Deus.

One of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s army who survived the massacre that the Demon King unleashed that day with her.

“Aww~ Why so stiff after such a long time? Call me ‘Yasdes’ like you used to, affectionately~♡”

At first glance, her behavior towards Merilyn might seem like a one-sided courtship, but Merilyn knew well that her interest in someone was due to a ‘twisted sexual desire’.

Although Merilyn had only found it annoying and repulsive when they met before.

“What are you doing right now?”

At this moment, the emotion Merilyn felt upon crashing into this scene and seeing the mischief the person before her had caused was nothing other than what one might call rage.

Because she saw the man, the source of her desires, lying powerless, intoxicated by her magic.

“Ah, this man?”

Yasmo, seemingly oblivious to her emotions, scoffed at the man lying on the ground as if dead, with an air of nonchalance.

“I actually came here to meet Mephi, but it seemed like this guy would interfere between us. So, I thought of turning him into a mummy so he couldn’t get up again, but for some reason, it’s not working as expected…”

-Kwaang!!

Losing her composure, Merilyn charged forward, and crushed Yasmo’s face without mercy.