Book 2: Chapter 30

「……Good morning, Demon King-sama.」

A voice that was slow……yet had a definite weight to it called out to the person on the throne.

「……」

The one who had fallen asleep on the throne was their king.

The four subordinates who were loyal to their king awaited the words of their king who slowly opened their eyes.

「……I saw, a dream.」

There was no one that interrupted the king’s words.

The king gazed with an absent minded face at the subordinates who simply hung their heads as they awaited the continuation of the king’s words, and spun out words while still in a daze.

「It was a dream, where we destroyed the world, and spared no one……」

That’s right, that was a dream.

Instigating the fears of all of mankind──

Conspiring the dissension of all of mankind──

Crumbling the connections of mankind’s hearts──

Universally destroying mankind’s nations──

It was a dream where everything was destroyed like that.

However, that was not a mere dream.

The plan was already being implemented.

Under the name of Demon King, they first started with the destruction of the St. Altlis Kingdom.

Taking a long, long time, it reached a stage where it would be impossible to repair it.

Not even mankind itself was conscious of the fact that it had been destroyed.

It’s because it was a plan from so long ago that even the Demon King himself had completely forgotten about it.

「……Demon King-sama. Is it not a good time now -degozaimasu ga?」

「For what.」

「For mankind’s destruction……-degozaimasu.」

「Fumu……」

Hearing those words, the Demon King slowly started turning his thoughts.

First, about where……this place was.

The throne he was sitting on.

And then, this reception hall.

The distorted and richly colored scenery, which spread out outside the window.

Turning his consciousness to the nooks and crannies of the castle, the Demon King recalled.

That’s right, this place was a 『Dimensional Gap』.

It was land in the next world that was detached from the world.

This place, was the Demon King Castle.

The castle of the Mazoku, who were invading the world.

Well then, who were these people.

The Demon King gazed at the four loyal subordinates that were before him.

Red, blue, black, and white.

They were four colored knights that wore strange-looking armor.

The Demon King remembered.

They were his strongest loyal subordinates.

The Red Knight.

The Blue Knight.

The Black Knight.

The White Knight.

Finally, about who the Demon King himself was.

「……My four loyal knights.」

「Yes, Demon King-sama.」

「……Just who am I?」

Hearing that question, the four knights trembled with deep emotion.

They were given a chance express how they felt about their magnificent Demon King.

「Our King, our magnificent King.」

First, the Red Knight sung his praise with a gallant voice.

「You are the one who governs over fear and dissension. You are the father of all evil.」

Next, the Blue Knight sung his praise with a slow voice.

「You are the hand that spins chaos and disorder. You are the king that wears all resentment.」

And then, the Black Knight sung his praise with a low voice.

「You are the primary cause of all evil. You are the one that will dye everything in the world with blood.」

Finally, the White Knight sung his praise with a refreshing voice.

「O King, our Demon King Ikslaas. You are the one who will guide mankind to perish……The Demon King -degozaimasu.」

Yes, that was it.

It was there that Ikslaas finally remembered.

Ikslaas was the primary cause of everything.

In order to destroy the world, Ikslaas advanced things.

But, not yet.

A bit more preparations needed to still be arranged.

「……My four loyal knights. For now, wait for a short while. Save your strength for the appropriate time.」

「As you command.」

After Ikslaas nodded looking satisfied with their response, his consciousness sank back into slumber.

Ikslaas’s subordinates.

The loyal Alva.

They would surely promote chaos even more.

For the sake of the appropriate time.

「……」

The four knights once again sank into silence like sculptures and silently gazed at Ikslaas.

During that time, the Red Knight opened his mouth.

「……He sleeps quite well.」

The Blue Knight stood up, and turned his body around.

「In that case, it means he won’t get in the way.」

「Wait, Blue Knight. You aren’t allowed to leave without the command.」

「Yeah, isn’t that how it’s been up until now?」

Hearing the Black Knight and White Knight’s words that had the same view, the Blue Knight went silent, but once again started walking.

「……The fated time is close. There is surely a need to check to see if there are any defects in the Demon King Castle.」

「……That’s true too. Can we leave it to you, Blue Knight?」

「Yeah, and I will leave the escort duty of Demon King-sama to you all.」

Saying that, the Blue Knight walked around inside the castle.

The Demon King Castle.

A floating castle suspended in the 『Dimensional Gap』.

A land where nothing could be created.

Floating with a form that remained unchanged for a time close to an eternity, the headquarters of the Demon King Army.

And then, it was an invincible stronghold that mere Humans could never reach.

Only those who prostrate themselves to its glory would be allowed to reside in this land.

「……」

Looking down at the castle town from the window, the Blue Knight muttered.

「……It’s, the same as always.」

A quiet castle town.

Made with the same mysterious materials as the castle, there were numerous different buildings.

However, they were vacant buildings that had no one living in them.

There was only the main road where the Alva came and went on.

It was the same as usual.

「……Was, that really how it was?」

Suddenly, that kind of thought passed through his head, but he immediately painted over it.

「……No, of course it is.」

What came to the Blue Knight’s mind in place of that doubt, was his duty from now on.

He would make a declaration of war against mankind in the near future, and plunge into war.

By destroying the weakened mankind, they would establish a paradise for Mazoku on the surface.

Drawing that scene in his mind……The Blue Knight once again arrived at another doubt.

「However……Why, do we not just wait for mankind to self-destruct?」

That doubt was also painted over.

Within the 『Dimensional Gap』, the Blue Knight continued wondering things that had no answers to himself.

Those doubts were all painted over, until that moment.