CH 271

Chapter 271 – Those Who Commit Treason(6)

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“……I see.”

Baal smiled wryly.

A host was necessary for summoned beings. Summons can’t move if their host doesn’t provide them with mana. That’s why it’s a smart idea to deal with the host first when fighting summoned beings.

Amon had said that there were 500 death knights in the ballroom. Out of all summoned creatures, death knights are the most powerful. That was why Baal taunted Barbatos at the beginning and lured her in. He also didn’t forget to destroy her heart, the source of her magic…….

“She deliberately acted as if she were defeated.”

Considering the circumstances, it was understandable if Barbatos were to become enraged. Barbatos was the one who felt the most regret and vexation about the 2nd Crescent Alliance. Regardless, did she simply pretend to be angry……?

Baal started to piece things together. The reason why Zepar didn’t attack Baal and prioritized rescuing Barbatos at any cost wasn’t due to the fact that he was cool-headed, but because it was necessary for their plan. Zepar covered Barbatos with his mantle after he rescued her.

This was for the sake of not showing that Barbatos had recovered.

Baal spoke as blood flowed down the side of his mouth.

“Thinking about it now, it was weird. You took a few steps away from me as if you knew beforehand that Barbatos would come to attack me.”

It wasn’t an attack that came due to a surge of emotions. It was a move that was planned out for the last moment.

“In the end, it is Barbatos who deals the finishing blow……. What a luxury.”

“Mm, that is not the case. You are half correct and half wrong.”

Dantalian scratched his cheek.

“It is true that she intentionally pretended to have been defeated. It was obvious that you would aim for her heart, so she was drinking a healing potion beforehand. However, Barbatos was not the one who killed Your Highness.”

“A healing potion?”

“It was mixed together with her wine.”

Barbatos had been drinking wine since before the meeting started. Was that a healing potion? Baal, who was almost obsessively thorough, smiled more wryly.

“How even more confusing. But how is Barbatos not the one to have pierced me?”

“I am not sure how it is for Your Highness, but one’s heart is not something that can easily be regenerated. It hurts a lot for even high-ranking Demon Lords if their heart is destroyed.”

Dantalian chuckled.

At a snap of his fingers, more swords came surging out from Baal’s shadow. The swords stabbed into Baal’s body. While this was happening, the swords that had stabbed into him before returned to his shadow. They were attacking in rotation.

Mm, Baal let out a groan. He was going to try and recover as much as possible while having this idle chat, but there was no opportunity for him.

“Daisy. Cut it.”

“Yes, Father.”

The human girl swung down her sword. Baal’s right hand was cut cleanly off. The Demon Destroyer that was being held by the Demon Lord fell to the ground powerlessly. Baal was disarmed just in case.

Baal furrowed his brows.

“Father?”

“She is my adopted daughter. She has a fair bit of connection with Your Highness in a previous life, so please treat her well. Of course, even if you do treat her well now, it will not be for long.”

Dantalian kicked the Demon Destroyer aside.

“Shall we return to the previous topic? It is true that Barbatos is doing fairly well now, but she has not recovered enough to be able to use her summons freely. And yet, how were the death knights able to attack you……?”

Dantalian clapped once more and the swords withdrew as a new batch of swords surged up and pierced into Baal’s body again.

“The reason is simple. It is because the power to control them was transferred to me already.”

“…….”

“Out of the 467 death knights that were lying in wait in the ballroom, only 67 of them were sponging off of Barbatos.”

He grinned widely.

“The remaining 400 are subjected to me.”

Baal let out an ‘ah’.

“You tricked me.”

“Indeed. Well, do not blame yourself. Everyone would naturally think that death knights belong solely to Barbatos as her elite soldiers.”

“This is a masterpiece that is comparable to your eloquence.”

Baal laughed.

“If you launched a pincer maneuver with the death knights when the combatant Demon Lords attacked me, when the dolls swarmed me, and when the magic spells barraged me……I might have lost. Although it would not have been an easy victory.”

Dantalian had completely ignored this possibility. He pretended until the very end as if the death knights had been neutralized. All for the sake of a single opening.

Dantalian shrugged.

“Well, saying that you might have lost also means that you might have won as well. Your Highness possesses the highest rank. It would only be right to be prepared for everything.”

By making the wyverns attack from above, Baal’s gaze was focused upward. Baal loosened his grip on his sword for a brief instant because of the attack from the human girl.

The death knights aimed for the very moment Baal thought everything was over before attacking him.

Dantalian lowered his voice and whispered in Baal’s ear.

“This is a secret, but there was also a need for some Demon Lords to die. Having fewer Demon Lords stronger than me would only be a good thing, am I wrong?”

“Kuhuhu.”

This meant that even Baal was being used in the end.

Dantalian was the one to kill Rank 72 Andromalius, and it was also Dantalian who killed him, Rank 1 Baal. The Demon Lord army will undoubtedly revolve around the man standing before him. The conviction of a warrior and righteousness will most likely not exist during his rule over these turbulent times…….

“Was it dying to a person like you my fate? But, Dantalian. This achievement was not accomplished by your strength alone. You had to utilize every Demon Lord in order to kill me.”

Baal had a satisfied smile on his face as he closed his eyes.

“My 5,000 years of life have been heavy. What more could I hope for as one doomed to perish? Has anyone else met an end as grand as this? No. There has not…….”

With his eyes closed, a gray sky appeared.

The sky which he looked up vacantly at when he was starving unfolded before him.

The demon world used to be barren. He struggled desperately just to survive. As it was only natural for the strong to have another meal, every demon sought to become strong and Baal was naturally also one of them.

As Baal continued to kill and kill, a single question came to Baal’s mind.

If I were to die meaninglessly, then what would that mean for the numerous lives that had been taken by my hands?

He had once killed a mother and her young daughter for the sake of eating a single loaf of bread. He cruelly slaughtered the family that begged to at least spare the daughter. He even killed a preacher who wanted to stop the agonizing fights and walk down a path of reconciliation. All of the warriors who fell to his sword were great and noble.

He ate those people and survived.

━A meaningless death was absolutely unforgivable.

From that moment forth, Baal started to search for his end.

Barbatos advocated for a world where all of demonkind could live happily. It was worth dying to someone with at least that much weight on their shoulders. Paimon dreamed of a world where every sentient being could live together peacefully regardless of their race. This was also worth dying for.

Even if Dantalian’s plot took the key role, in the end, Baal was slain by every Demon Lord.

Baal intended to accept this death happily.

“It seems you are satisfied. Are you looking at some peaceful scenery?”

However, the other party didn’t take his neck no matter how long he waited.

“I apologize, but it would be troubling if I were to kill Your Highness here. Would I not suddenly become the Demon Lord who killed Baal? It would be tiring if I drew people’s attention because of that.”

“……What are you saying?”

“Your neck is not charming enough for me to take such a risk.”

Once Baal opened his eyes, he saw Dantalian standing with a sick smile on his face.

“I do not want a ‘new emperor’. Even a person of your stature is meeting your end like this. If I were to ascend to an almighty position, would that power last longer than a millennium? I wish to simply live a long and narrow life.”

“…….”

Baal felt anger for the first time.

Dantalian had just declared that Baal’s death didn’t have much value.

“You…….”

“I will tell you one fact. Once an absolute powerhouse such as yourself is gone, the Demon Lord army will begin to struggle internally in earnest. Agares has become partially crippled and you would be gone. My need to worry about the future has decreased greatly.”

Dantalian chuckled quietly.

“It is truly unfortunate, Baal. The struggle and war that you longed for will paradoxically happen after your death. Do you understand? You had a dream that was impossible to fulfill.”

“…….”

“But it would trouble me if you directed your hate at me. You would have died to a mere human later on anyway if the status quo had been maintained, so, if anything, it is a relief that you are dying to me. Mhm. Your gratitude alone would not be enough to cover my consideration.”

Dantalian whispered.

“A dog-like death suits a dog.”

Dantalian then turned to face the other Demon Lords.

He spread his arms out and shouted.

“Comrades! The culprit behind the failure of the 2nd Crescent Alliance and all of the failures afterward, Demon Lord Baal, has been defeated. It is time for the traitor among traitors who had been crushing the dreams of demonkind for the sake of his own greed to be punished.”

However, Dantalian continued.

“The one to put an end to Baal will be referred to as the hero who defeated Baal. Everyone, we cannot sit idly by and allow such a tragic end. This is because Baal is not the traitor of one, but the traitor of demonkind as a whole.”

Dantalian looked more serious than ever.

“Therefore, Baal must be punished by all of us. My beloved comrades, we do not want a single hero. We desire a united demon world. If you are confident that you can represent all of demonkind, if you consider yourselves as the true monarchs of demonkind━then please step forward.”

Dantalian unsheathed the dagger that was on his hip.

“For a new era!”

He stabbed the dagger into Baal’s shoulder without any hesitation.

“Not for the old era controlled by struggle, competition, blood, and slaughter, but for a new era that is built for the sake of harmony, peace, equality, and most importantly, everyone. I ask that we open the path together with our hands.”

Once he did, the other Demon Lords slowly approached.

Barbatos was the first one. She was still panting heavily due to her injury, but she summoned her battle scythe and stabbed it into Baal’s thigh. Paimon sliced Baal’s right ear with a look of sadness and remorse on her face. Gamigin had her usual smile on her face as she carved into Baal’s chest.

It was like he was slowly being bit apart by hounds.

‘Aah…….’

Baal thought to himself as he felt his flesh get pierced.

The last Demon Lord to step forward was Rank 3 Vassago. Vassago had always been known as Baal’s supporter, so he had no other choice but to participate in this murder in order to escape the false accusation of being called Baal’s aide. To be more exact, Dantalian had instigated Vassago to do so.

Vassago’s face was filled with fear and greed. This was the true face of someone who was called a young noble. The sight of Vassago raising his sword and swinging it at his neck reflected slowly in Baal’s two eyes.

‘So this is my death.’

Everything then went dark.