The Demon King's fragments that Vandalieu had absorbed into his body suddenly declaring the resurrection of the Demon King and the Demon King Fusion Skill awakening into the Demon King Skill greatly surprised Zantark, Farmaun and the rest of the gods. However, Sam, Bone Man and Vandalieu's other companions showed no signs of surprise or shock.
"Bocchan, you have acquired another superior Skill. Congratulations," said Sam.
"Sam, it's Demon King. Even if it's a Skill, isn't it a bad thing?" said Vandalieu.
"My lord, has there been any problems with your body since you awakened that Skill?" asked Bone Man.
"Not in particular," Vandalieu replied.
He had been testing things out by covering his forearms with the Demon King's exoskeleton, turning his tongue into the Demon King's tongue and bringing out his often-used Demon King's blood and horns, but he didn't feel like anything was out of the ordinary.
"Bocchan, are you hearing any mysterious voices in your head?" asked Saria.
"Or maybe a dangerous urge to destroy everything in sight?" suggested Rita, trying to think of any likely scenarios.
Vandalieu didn't reply immediately; he closed his eyes and began analyzing himself.
I don't hear any voices.
Vandalieu didn't hear a voice that wasn't his own, like the time when he first activated the Demon King's blood… it was possible that there were voices that were simply remaining silent to stay hidden, so he examined himself carefully. However, he couldn't find anything.
Next, he tried using Out-of-body Experience to examine himself and see whether there had been any changes to his body, but that didn't seem to be the case either.
Finally, he tried activating the Demon King's auxiliary brain, but he could not feel the Demon King Guduranis's will. It seemed that Vandalieu's prediction had been right and the auxiliary brain was just a sub-brain responsible for controlling the body.
Depending on how it was used, it was possible that activating the Demon King's auxiliary brain would allow Vandalieu to continue functioning even if his own brain was in a state where it could not be used.
Also, it was possible that he could create a familiar with some ability to make its own decisions by attaching the Demon King's eyeballs to it.
"Leaving the uses of the auxiliary brain aside… I don't think there are any signs of anything like that. I don't hear any strange voices or feel any desires or urges," Vandalieu reported.
"Then there aren't any problems!" said Rita.
"But… it has become easier to activate the fragments than before," said Vandalieu. "I can use them as if they really were extensions of my limbs or parts of my body."
Vandalieu had been able to use the Demon King's fragments without having to say 'activate' out loud, but he had been using them with the same sensation as casting spells or using martial skills.
However, he felt like he could now use them with the same sensation as simply reaching out with his hand. The amount of Mana the fragments took to activate had decreased… though the Mana cost was still ridiculously vast for an ordinary person.
Perhaps Vandalieu would become able to activate the Demon King's fragments subconsciously in the future.
"Isn't that amazing! Congratulations!" said Saria.
It seemed that there weren't any problems.
Shouldn't I be feeling a sense of danger, though? Vandalieu wondered, giving a sigh of relief as he looked up at Zantark and the Kijin ancestor, who had been holding the last fragment that he had absorbed.
Zantark let out a roar.
"Zantark says, 'Your companions seem to be unconcerned, so you're probably fine.' I think the same," said Farmaun. "In fact, the properties of your Mana when you activated the fragments felt different from Guduranis's to me."
The words of Zantark, the war-god of fire and destruction who had once faced the Demon King, and Farmaun, one of the champions who had defeated the Demon King, seemed to be very reassuring. The tension was released from the shoulders of the Majin ancestor and Lafaz, the bird beast-king.
But the Majin ancestor didn't seem to be completely relieved. "Farmaun, since you're one of the three who defeated the Demon King, what are these differences in the quality of the Mana?" he asked. "All I know of the Demon King is from the fragments, so I can't tell."
"If you don't mind an answer of just what I feel… I remember the Demon King Guduranis's mana being aggressive. It felt like it would pierce anything that opposed its flow and eat into anything it touched," Farmaun explained. "Of course, it might be only natural that I felt that way since we were enemies."
"Those who were not his enemies… even his subordinates, would have felt the same aggressiveness in the Demon King Guduranis's Mana and presence. That Demon King ruled over those beneath him with sheer power and fear," said Gufadgarn, a former subordinate of the Demon King, supporting Farmaun's words.
"I see… In comparison, Vandalieu's Mana has a strange feeling to it," said Farmaun.
"Strange?" Vandalieu repeated.
"Yeah," said Farmaun, nodding. "It feels like it's coiling around me, but it's not particularly unpleasant, if you know what I mean."
It seemed that Vandalieu's Mana had sticky properties.
Incidentally, there were two meanings to the 'properties' of an individual's Mana. One was the talents possessed by the owner of the Mana, such as their affinity to the attributes and their suitability for alchemy and spiritual magic.
The other definition was the properties that distinguished the owner, similar to fingerprints or DNA. Magic Items that could only be used by their owners distinguished their owners from other people through these identifying properties.
Thus, it was a great relief to be told this by Farmaun, a heroic god.
However, it seemed that Luvesfol, the raging evil dragon god that Pauvina and Oniwaka had been trying to keep calm, had lost consciousness from terror.
"Van, Luves has fainted," said Pauvina.
"W-what do we do?!" said Oniwaka.
"… I'm sure he's tired. Let's allow him to rest for a while," said Vandalieu.
"Yeah, you're right," said Pauvina, lifting Luvesfol up and carrying him over to store him in Sam's carriage, his tail dragging against the ground along the way.
Luvesfol had lost consciousness, but this was the moment that it was decided that Vandalieu and his companions would take him with them.
Zantark and the other gods didn't say anything, so it seemed that they didn't mind.
"He deserves to be punished like the other Elder Dragons that Schneider defeated. I am sorry for causing you the trouble," Tiamat said afterwards, however.
An enormous worm covered in fluffy fur emerged from within Vandalieu, seemingly feeling sympathy towards Luvesfol. It was Pain, who had gone from being a Sheep Worm to a Rank 6 Grand Huge Sheep Worm.
Pain gently wrapped and coiled himself around Luvesfol.
"Van-kun, didn't you say before that the Demon King Job appeared in your lists of Jobs you could change into?" said Orbia.
"With that being the case, it isn't a big deal that you acquired the Skill," said Princess Levia.
"… Now that you mention it, you're right. For now, I'll inspect the exact effects of the Skill little by little," said Vandalieu.
And so, time passed peacefully around the apparently resurrected (second) Demon King.
Meanwhile, the Divine Realm of Alda, the god of law and fate, was being shaken.
"My lord, the Demon King's fragments that are being preserved by the Churches have all become more active!"
"We are receiving similar reports from other gods!"
The human Eileek possessed a talent for receiving Divine Messages, and Alda had loosened his control over the light attribute to cause a total solar eclipse in order to secure Eileek's position as pope.
Alda had explained the effects that this would have to the other gods beforehand. During the eclipse, some of the Demon King's fragments and evil gods that had been sealed would be stimulated, and there was a risk that some of them might be released.
That was why he had conducted a near-perfect investigation into the evil gods and fragments that would be released, then formed a plan against them. He had ensured that any incidents in the Amid Empire and Orbaume Kingdom could be dealt with.
Alda's forces could not see the Demon Continent or inside the Boundary Mountain Range; if anything happened there, Zantark and the other gods of Vida's faction would deal with them, and it would not bother Alda and his allies if they suffered great losses doing so. In fact, it would be convenient if they did.
However, something was happening to the Demon King's fragments once more, a month after the solar eclipse.
"My lord, could this be another effect of the solar eclipse?" one of the gods asked.
"No, it has already been a month. It is difficult to imagine that this is an effect of the eclipse," said Alda.
"Then, o Alda, is there a possibility that the fragments are working together and plotting something?" asked another god.
"That is impossible."
The fragments were the result of the champions chopping the Demon King Guduranis into countless pieces; those pieces had transformed into various different body parts and each of them individually sought the Demon King's resurrection.
It was true that they had once been Guduranis, a singular being, but now that they were separated and separately sealed away, it should have been impossible for them to share a will.
"Therefore, something must have happened to the being that is above the fragments… the new Demon King, Vandalieu," said Alda, without any doubt in his words.
He was right.
The seals on the Demon King's fragments held by his believers weakening was because of Vandalieu's Demon King Skill awakening on the Demon Continent.
"We must pour more power into the holy grounds of the Churches, suppressing the fragments until they become quiet once more," said Alda. "We must also confirm whether there has been any effect on the fragments that have been directly sealed by the gods, and the fragments that have become pieces of Demon King equipment."
Familiar spirits flew off to deliver Alda's commands to the other gods, and they soon returned with information.
"The sealed fragments on holy grounds have been successfully suppressed! The fragments have been confirmed to be quiet."
"The fragment seals maintained directly by the gods have shown no changes. It seems that they are unaffected."
"Likewise, Demon King equipment is unaffected. However, we have not confirmed every piece of Demon King equipment."
Alda felt bitter about the last report. Demon King equipment was equipment created by modifying the seals on fragments of the Demon King, allowing them to be wielded as terrible weapons.
These had been created either through the experiments of a mad alchemist or a conspiracy of the remnants of the Demon King's army.
Alda and the other gods had not acknowledged Demon King equipment, but… it was impossible to change their seals back to their original forms, and they were as effective against other rampaging Demon King fragments as Orichalcum equipment. Thus, they had accepted the use of Demon King equipment as 'fighting fire with fire' while ensuring that the method of creating such equipment was lost, and that it could not be modified any further.
However, it could not be said that Demon King equipment was particularly effective against Vandalieu; they knew this from the battle between Vandalieu and the 'Five-headed Snake' Ervine, one of the Fifteen Evil-breaking Swords.
With that in mind, they had wanted to seal the Demon King equipment away as soon as possible, but this could not be easily achieved, as Demon King equipment was in the hands of a number of different nations and organizations.
But it was good that they had been unaffected for now.
"Each of you, observe the seals' behavior. We cannot directly interfere with seals that are not on holy grounds… those that are in the hands of organizations that merely call themselves churches and those that have been abandoned in ruins. We shall dispatch humans as necessary," said Alda.
The familiar spirits dispersed once more to deliver these orders.
With this, things should be dealt with for the moment.
"… Curatos, what do you think of this incident?" asked Alda, addressing one of his closest aides among the subordinate gods that served him, the god of records Curatos.
"My apologies, o great Alda," said Curatos, shaking his head. "I can offer only guesses as to why we find ourselves in this unprecedented situation."
"I shall hear them," said Alda.
"Very well… I believe that this situation is the result of many fragments gathered in a single host, more than has ever been seen before."
"I see. That is the 'main body' that the fragments desire. I had thought that it would be the Demon King's soul, the majority of which we made Rodcorte seal away, but…"
Having decided that it would be dangerous to seal the Demon King's soul here in this world where fragments of the Demon King's body were, Alda had left the sealing of the relatively unimportant parts of the Demon King's soul, such as the Demon King's memories, to Rodcorte.
Rodcorte was a specialist when it came to handling souls, and even in the worst-case scenario of the Demon King's soul rampaging out of control, it would be unable to manifest its power in the absence of the fragments of the body.
Up until now, Alda had thought that the 'main body' that the fragments referred to and desired was the Demon King's soul.
"I believe that my theory is correct. And if it is, then the 'main body' is unmistakably Vandalieu," said Curatos.
To Alda and his allies, Vandalieu was a being that disturbed the order of the current world, an enemy that needed to be defeated. Now, this enemy had become even more powerful.
"How are Heinz and his companions doing in the trial I gave them?" Alda asked.
"It seems that they have set foot on the thirtieth floor," said Curatos. "I reproduced the monsters of the same races as Vandalieu's subordinates and the monsters of the Demon King's army, using my records. Heinz's party has defeated these monsters, but…"
Curatos, the god of records, recorded the vast amount of information possessed by Alda's forces. In his Divine Realm, he was able to create reproductions of these records.
Using this ability, he had recreated monsters and members of Vida's races as obstacles in the 'Trial Dungeon' to train Heinz and his companions. These reproductions could not be told apart from the real thing, but when they were defeated, they vanished like illusions. This was why they did not leave any materials or Magic Stones behind.
And this was also why Heinz and his companions remained unharmed no matter how many times they were defeated. Every time they left the 'town,' Curatos would place their consciousnesses inside replicas of their bodies created from his records.
No matter how severely they were wounded in battle and how much their equipment was damaged, they were merely replicas created from Curatos's records. Their real bodies and equipment remained undamaged.
"Battling against descended heroic spirits with only their consciousnesses in recreated bodies… It will take them much time to reach the 108th floor at this rate," Alda murmured.
"O great Alda, shall we make the trial a little easier?" Curatos asked.
"No, continue the trial as it is, Curatos," said Alda. "It would be meaningless if we loosen the pressure on them now and it causes them to fall during the crucial battle. We need Heinz and his companions… Heinz, to become at least as powerful as Bellwood."
"As you wish. I will recreate the monsters of the Demon King's army on the thirty-first floor as planned.
Vandalieu and his companions proceeded to the city near the volcanic area that had become Zantark's Divine Realm. It was a city inhabited by Kiryujin that possessed the traits of Drakonids and Kijin, Maryujin that possessed the traits of Drakonids and Majin, and a small number of individuals belonging to Vida's other races.
The population of the city was about fifty thousand. Like the city-states insides the Boundary Mountain Range, the inhabitants conducted farming and fishing inside Dungeons, while the trained warriors hunted monsters. This was how these people lived.
The Kiryujin and Maryujin population was large compared to the population of the Majin nation inside the Boundary Mountain Range, but that was likely because there was no place for them to slumber like the Majin inside Vida's Resting Grounds; all of them remained conscious and active.
After Vandalieu and his companions were shown a warm welcome, there were discussions regarding things like teleportation to and from the Dungeons managed by this city, having Borkus and the others come from Talosheim to help exterminate monsters, and Oniwaka studying abroad here.
Unlike the Dungeons within the Boundary Mountain Range, which the evil god of labyrinths Gufadgarn had created intentionally, the Dungeons of the Demon Continent had all formed naturally or been created by the remnants of the Demon King's army, with the exception of the Dungeons of the city. Thus, the continent's Dungeons were located in a disorganized manner, and they were not being managed properly. Thus, there were also discussions to improve this situation.
Dispatching forces to help with these tasks would be useful for stabilizing the Demon Continent and providing training for Borkus and the others.
As for Oniwaka studying here… This was an idea suggested by the Kijin king Tenma after he heard that the Kijin ancestor was present on the Demon Continent.
"You have aided us so much, so we must do something in return. We will offer our support, as Oniwaka-dono studying here will be an opportunity for us to have a cultural exchange with our brethren whom we were separated from so long ago," said the leader of this city, a Kiryujin elder.
The Kiryujin and Maryujin had been created when the Kijin and Majin ancestors mated with Tiamat, but they were apparently variants of Kijin and Majin, not a separate race altogether.
"But they say that they do not need any gold or treasures that we offer, and even though he has multiple brides, the women are of such status that he turned down Tiamat-sama's offer. The women will likely refuse our proposals," said a male Maryujin who was also one of the city's leaders.
It seemed that on the Demon Continent, being propositioned by Tiamat was considered to be a great honor.
To the point that one would assume that anyone who turned Tiamat down would not give a second look at anyone who wasn't a true beauty.
"They're misunderstanding, but it's probably best to leave them to think that way for a while," Pauvina whispered to Oniwaka.
"Yeah, we're not really of very high status," Oniwaka whispered back.
"Don't worry about it. I think we'll be asking you for help when the time calls for it," Vandalieu said to the leaders, ignoring Pauvina and Oniwaka's whispers.
"Us, helping you when the time comes… well, that is only natural. I have heard that a Queen of our race is in Talosheim, a being that has not existed in many years. I would be glad to participate in an exchange," said another leader, a Ghoul Amazoness who had the appearance of a young girl but possessed a dignified aura.
The few Ghouls who had escaped with Zantark a hundred thousand years ago had received Tiamat's protection, gaining power but in exchange becoming a tribe of only women. It seemed that they were still a unisexual tribe, even today.
"The young girls of our tribe are full of interest in the Ghoul men that have become extinct on this continent. When will Queen Basdia-sama and this Vigaro-dono that I have heard of be coming here?" the Ghoul Amazoness asked.
"Well, that might take some time," Vandalieu said vaguely, worried that Basdia would gain even more siblings born from different mothers if he left Vigaro to his own devices here.
I'll try talking to the other Ghoul men first.
"Leaving the exchange aside… Is it decided?" asked one of the leaders, changing the subject.
"Indeed. We have already received permission."
"Then there is no other choice."
The ten leaders all nodded, stood and bowed simultaneously towards Vandalieu.
"We shall join the empire, with Vandalieu Zakkart-dono as our emperor."
"From this moment forth, this city is under His Majesty's rule, and we are His Majesty's people. His Majesty is our emperor."
"Please take good care of us."
"… No, wait a second," said Vandalieu, hastily stopping the leaders. "Are you sure you want to make that decision so hastily? Shouldn't you hear the opinions of the city's people, have some discussions and at least come to see Talosheim first?"
"No, there will be none who would be dissatisfied with this decision," one of the leaders replied.
This city was the Demon Continent's sole community of people. There had not been a single "other nation" in existence here for the past hundred thousand years.
There were multiple races living in the city, such as the Maryujin, Kiryujin and Ghouls, but the Maryujin and Kiryujin were siblings bound by their common parent Tiamat, and the Ghouls had kept their lineages going through mixed marriages, as they had become a tribe of only women.
Though the races did have their disagreements, they were mild.
On top of that, up until a hundred years ago… until fairly recently to members of Vida's races, they had been threatened by a powerful external enemy in the form of Ravovifard, the god of release, and his army of high-Rank monsters. Thus, they had survived by forming bonds and fighting together.
"And we have never understood politics and government," one of the leaders continued.
"We have not received a single king up until now," explained another.
The people of the city gathered at this feast were no more than 'leaders,' there were no chiefs or mayors or anything of the like because such roles had never existed in the first place.
"We have run this city by obeying the gods' policies. Of course, we have not asked for instructions on every single thing, but we have done so for anything concerning the entire city."
This city was a more religious nation than the nations inside the Boundary Mountain Range… They could even be described as having been ruled by gods.
The nations inside the Boundary Mountain Range elected kings and queens, and these rulers had maintained these nations as servants of their guardian deities.
However, Zantark and the other gods that protected this city continued to exist on the world's surface, even now. That was because the area around Zantark had half-transformed into his Divine Realm. Thus, anyone could visit the gods and exchange words with them directly as long as they were willing to endure the heat.
That was why there was no need to appoint rulers as representatives of the city; the gods were the ones who governed this city's people.
"If the gods do not mind, then it's fine," said Vandalieu.
And that was how it was.
"And as you are already trusted by the gods as a champion, Master, I suppose it means that you are already worthy of the people's trust," said Luciliano.
"Congratulations, Bocchan. The nation's land and populace has expanded!" said Sam.
"I'm sure the exchange will go well, Bocchan," said Saria.
Indeed, Vandalieu had no reason to refuse.
He had intended to provide this city with all kinds of support from the beginning, and although it was far from Talosheim, it was possible to travel back and forth in an instant with his Dungeon Teleportation, Legion and Gufadgarn.
And it wasn't as if the city was suffering from serious problems or debt. It was another nation with members of Vida's races, and although the people had been surprised by Bone Man and the other Undead at first, they would soon become accustomed to them.
"Well then, I will welcome this city's people as citizens of my nation. May our bonds be everlasting," said Vandalieu.
And so, Talosheim gained more land and citizens.
A little before returning to Talosheim, Vandalieu appeared before Zantark and the other gods once more.
Tiamat and Deeana tried to grant Vandalieu their divine protections, but they were left disappointed.
"It seems that we cannot give you our divine protections after all. Even though, despite this appearance, I am top-class among the remaining Elder Dragons," said Tiamat.
"If it is impossible even for Tiamat, then it will be impossible for me as well. It is likely impossible for any except the great gods," said Deeana.
But Zantark roared and waved his arms.
"You have acquired Zantark's Divine Protection!"
Vandalieu heard an announcer's voice in his head, notifying him that he had received Zantark's divine protection.
At that moment, he became able to understand Zantark's words, which had only sounded like roars and groans up until now.
"Were you able to receive my Divine Protection?" said Zantark.
There was still some noise mixed in with his voice, making it difficult to hear what he was saying, but Vandalieu could understand his words' meaning.
"Ah, Zantark says –" one of the gods began, intending to interpret.
"Ah, it's alright. I've received his divine protection, and I can mostly understand what he's saying," said Vandalieu.
"Wow, really?! There have been several people who have received Zantark's divine protection, but none of them have been able to understand his words."
"Then it's about time," said Farmaun, stepping forth from among the shocked gods. "I think you've already heard this from Schneider and his friends, but I'll ask you again. I want you to wait until after the war against Alda before you strike me."
It seemed that Farmaun had decided that it was the best time to make this request, now that his interpreting services were no longer required.
"If you're talking about the thing about striking you a hundred times in exchange for the truce, I refuse," said Vandalieu.
"I'm begging you! I can't afford to be destroyed yet!" he said, bowing his head.
As a former champion who was now a heroic god, Farmaun was a god far above the likes of Gyubarzo. He had confidence that he could not be destroyed so easily.
However, not avoiding and relying only on his defenses to withstand a hundred serious blows from Vandalieu would be dangerous. If he went all-out, he would attack a hundred times with Death Cannon or Hollow Cannon. There was plenty of time to recover his Mana and rest his body from the recoil of using these spells. After all, there wasn't any time limit by which all hundred attacks had to be used up.
Even if Farmaun could somehow withstand that and avoid being destroyed, he would certainly be severely wounded.
That was precisely why Vandalieu shook his head. "No, I mean I don't intend to strike you at all. Because you're going to fight for us against Alda's forces, of course."
Vandalieu had no intention to attack Farmaun.
"What? Are you sure?" Farmaun asked incredulously. "When I was alive, I didn't believe you… Zakkart and the others. In the end, I ended up leaving them to die. On top of that, there were great losses suffered because of my actions in the war that took place a hundred thousand years ago. If I hadn't joined that war, Vida's faction would be in a far better state than it is now. The Adventurers' Guild that I founded because I thought it was right, it's hard to say that it's been a good organization towards you as an individual. There's no shortage of reasons to strike me."
Several of the gods nodded in response to Farmaun's confession, and Zantark frowned deeply.
"Well, I suppose that's true," said Vandalieu, nodding as well. "But I just have a soul made up of the fragments of the souls of Zakkart and the other champions. I don't have any of their memories of the past, so I can't feel any direct hatred towards your actions. As for the Adventurers' Guild, you're nothing more than the one who founded it in the distant past. I think it would be strange to hold you accountable for what became of it tens of thousands of years after you died."
Farmaun was the heroic god who had founded the Adventurers' Guild, but he did not control it. Each branch had a small statue of him and decorations like tapestries bearing his holy symbol, but it wasn't as if every Guild worker was his follower.
Thus, it wasn't reasonable for Vandalieu to place the blame for everything that he had experienced on Farmaun.
"But even so, I was thinking of giving you one strike. Back when I was listening to Dalton's story," Vandalieu added.
"So, what made you decide not to?" Farmaun asked.
"I mean, after seeing the way you're treated by those around you now… You know."
After coming to the Demon Continent and seeing Farmaun's current situation, he now felt pity and sympathy for him.
Realizing this, the Majin ancestor… the one who had been blaming Farmaun the most, gave a small groan.
"But I'm not going to really defend you. The gods in the southern region of the Boundary Mountain Range – Xerxes, Mububujenge, Zozogante and Vida herself – If they want to strike you, I don't intend to stop them," said Vandalieu.
His pity and sympathy for Farmaun had made him lose the will to attack him, but that was all. He didn't really think that Farmaun wasn't at fault or that he should be forgiven.
Thus, he would not stop the gods who did feel a direct hatred for Farmaun if they intended to exact vengeance upon him.
"I see… That's more than enough. Thank you," said Farmaun. "And… this might just be for my own satisfaction, but… I'm sorry," he added, bowing his head to Vandalieu once more.
But the ones he was really bowing his head to were his fallen comrades who had now become parts of Vandalieu's soul.
The Majin and Kijin ancestors watched him with grim expressions, and then suddenly sighed.
"Old Kijin… Now that Alda has made a move, should we not place our ancient grudge aside?" said the Majin ancestor.
"Old Majin, I was thinking the same. Like the champion-dono, I will not go as far as to defend him, however," said the Kijin ancestor.
The two of them had detested Farmaun ever since he came to the Demon Continent, but as time passed, they had become unable to tell whether they really still hated him or whether they were simply continuing to abuse him for the sake of hating him.
Farmaun had taken far too much from them a hundred thousand years ago; his actions could not simply be forgotten and forgiven. However, his current actions were too admirable to deserve such continuous hatred.
The Majin and Kijin ancestor had been hating Farmaun half-heartedly, but it seemed that they had finally drawn the line.
"Sorry…"
With their backs turned towards Farmaun, the Majin and Kijin ancestors apologized. Vandalieu couldn't understand the inner thoughts of the gods that he had only just met, but he had a vague feeling that things were wrapping up in a good way.
And so, Vandalieu and his companions returned to Talosheim for now, leaving Oniwaka behind for her exchange.
Skill explanation:
Demon King
A superior version of the Demon King Fusion Skill. It is awakened by absorbing a certain number of the Demon King's fragments and being able to activate them repeatedly.
Its main effect is granting the ability to activate the Demon King's fragments as if they were a part of the owner's own body. They can be activated as reflexively as blinking in response to a clap right in front of the eyes.
It is thought that there are other effects as well, but they are unclear at this stage.
As a side-effect, the effects of Artifacts designed to be used against the Demon King's fragments also affect the Skill holder's body directly.
This Skill cannot be awakened from Demon King Encroachment Degree, even if it reaches the maximum Level.
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Dargzobon, the evil god of mad disaster, squirmed in frustration inside his seal.
He had lost his power after being defeated by Ravovifard, and then Zantark had taken that opportunity to seal him away for several thousand years… and now, after more than ten thousand years, the seal suddenly loosened.
Naturally, Dargzobon did not let this chance slip away. He used all of his strength to throw off the seal, achieving his revival. It was fortunate that he had managed to regain about half of his lost power while he was sealed away.
And then, the moment he leapt out from his seal, he was sent flying by a breath attack from Tiamat, the mountain-queen Elder Dragon god.
"It has been a while. Go back to sleep!" Tiamat hissed.
After that, Dargzobon was immobilized by the endless attacks of the Moon Giant Deeana.
"Don't send him flying away! Did you forget that we agreed to attack him on the spot until he stopped moving?!" Deeana shouted.
The relentless blows of Zantark, the war-god of fire and destruction, and the champion Farmaun Gold, rained down upon Dargzobon next.
Dargzobon hadn't noticed during the chaos of the eclipse, but now that he recalled, it had seemed like there were other evil gods who had been revived as well.
It was likely that Zantark and his allies had gathered Dargzobon and the other sealed evil gods in one place to manage them. Upon sensing the seals weakening, they had come and leapt into action immediately.
Unable to escape, Dargzobon was sealed away once more. This was the only possible outcome, as he had reappeared in the midst of his enemies with only half of his original power.
Now, he had less than a tenth of his original power. His current state was equivalent to a human being riddled with wounds, on the verge of death. It would be an impossible task to make a full recovery from this state unless he somehow gained an enormous number of followers.
"Curse you… Curse you…" he groaned.
His hatred for Zantark, Farmaun, Tiamat and the others deepened, but hatred alone wouldn't return his power.
There was no telling when Dargzobon would be able to escape the seal. The only thing that he could do was curse those who had sealed him until the seal somehow loosened once more. Or at least, that was supposed to be the case.
"The seal will… loosen once more… HUH?!"
Suddenly, the seal warped and came undone, without Dargzobon even struggling against it. He had been freed.
It was possible that the gods' seals had all loosened together due to some event, just like before. Dargzobon decided that he would not let this opportunity slip past this time; he would certainly make his escape.
He leapt forth from the seal, gaining speed to try and take to the skies.
He had to get as far away from this dangerous place as possible and set up his Divine Realm to heal his wounds. Exacting vengeance could come afterwards.
"KIHAHAHAHAHAHAHABEH?!"
His elated laughter was cut short as he crashed unexpectedly into a ceiling. He was not damaged, as he was currently in an illusion-like spirit form, but this was greatly surprising to him nonetheless.
"WHAT IS THIS PLACE?! A DUNGEON?!"
Indeed, Dargzobon's second resurrection had taken place inside a Dungeon. The sky was clear and blue, but this was actually an enclosed space, and there was an invisible ceiling that prevented ascension beyond a certain height.
Even though the attacks of his foes several days ago had reduced his power to a tenth of its original amount, he was still an evil god. No ordinary wall or ceiling would contain him. But that didn't apply for the walls and ceilings of a Dungeon.
If Dargzobon was the master of this Dungeon, then he would be able to do as he pleased, but he had no memory of creating such an unpleasant Dungeon with clear blue skies and green forests.
With that being the case, he would have to exit the Dungeon normally like a human. But he had little strength remaining. Though it pained him to admit it… it was likely that he would be defeated if he were to encounter a Rank 10 monster.
Fearful and wondering whether he would be able to make it, Dargzobon turned towards the surface. In the next moment, his mucus-like body froze as if solidified.
The Demon King was up there.
"GUDURA… NIS…?" Dargzobon murmured, recalling his former master, the dog who had been defeated by the champions. "No, it's not him!" he realized as he saw Vandalieu, who was floating in the air with a staff in his hand.
Vandalieu's presence and Mana bore enough similarities to Guduranis's to be mistaken for a moment. But he was a different being entirely.
"So, you're Dargzobon, the evil god of mad disaster. The one who is said to have caused numerous disasters during the age of the gods as a member of the Demon King's army, and laid waste to the Demon Continent as well after the Demon King was defeated," Vandalieu said, addressing Dargzobon… the evil god with the appearance of a mass of thick mucus with eyes and a nose on its surface. "I am the successor to the champion Zakkart and the 'Holy Son of Vida,' Vandalieu Zakkart," he continued, not waiting for a response. "You can obey me, or be devoured and destroyed. Make your choice."
"…"
Obedience or destruction. Given this choice, Dargzobon found himself unable to move right away. He understood that despite Vandalieu having the appearance of a mere boy, he possessed the power to destroy him, just as he said he would.
The proof of this was that Dargzobon could detect a familiar scent coming from the staff in Vandalieu's hand, which was longer than the height of his body.
Gyubarzo… So, it is made of that fool's bones and Magic Stone.
The staff had been created by Tarea, using materials from another former subordinate of the Demon King – Gyubarzo, the evil god of dark seas.
But Dargzobon could not sense Gyubarzo's actual presence in the staff at all. This meant that Gyubarzo had already been destroyed.
Vandalieu's presence was similar to the Demon King, and he possessed an overwhelming quantity of Mana that Dargzobon could sense even from this distance. In his hand was a staff made from the remains of an evil god.
Dargzobon knew that even if he were to recover all of his original power, it would be dubious as to whether he would even have a fifty percent chance to be able to defeat Vandalieu.
If he refused to obey, only destruction awaited him. Understanding that, he made his decision.
"ALRIGHT," he replied, approaching Vandalieu. "I… would rather be destroyed than obey the likes of you!" he shrieked, suddenly accelerating towards Vandalieu in a suicide attack… or at least that was what it appeared to be, but he flew directly past Vandalieu.
Dargzobon chose to gamble on the small possibility of escape.
But at that moment, a countless number of vines extended from the trees below, piercing through Dargzobon. A five-headed, one-eyed Elder Dragon with a single tail leapt from the forest, releasing projectiles of light from three of its heads.
"ZOZOGANTE?! FIDIRG?! CURSE YOU!"
With only a tenth of his original power, Dargzobon could not withstand the attacks of other gods. He began falling helplessly to the ground, and his spirit form began collapsing, exposing his soul.
"Fire," said Vandalieu, using Telekinesis to fire a Demon King's horn from a cannon barrel created from the Demon King's blood, aiming directly at Dargzobon's exposed soul.
Unable to even give a dying scream, the soul of Dargzobon, the evil god of mad disaster, was consumed and destroyed by Vandalieu.
"Taking physical form for the first time in so long was truly excellent," said Zozogante.
"Indeed… Taking physical form makes me truly feel like I exist," said Fidirg's first head.
The two of them were nodding in agreement with one another, having had their spirit forms converted to physical forms by Vandalieu's death-attribute spell, Materialization.
"Our surprise attack went well," said Zozogante.
"The best thing is that we can eat the offerings made to us right away," said the second of Fidirg's heads.
"I'll be undoing the spell now, since I'm running low on Mana," said Vandalieu.
He couldn't maintain the spell forever, so he undid the spell and began descending towards the ground. Zozogante and Fidirg immediately lost their physical forms, silently returning to their semi-transparent, ghost-like forms once more.
He could manage Materializing ordinary Ghosts, but doing so with gods, even those who had lost most of their power, was quite the burden on Vandalieu despite his vast Mana pool.
It was unlikely that he would have even considered it if he didn't have the staff made from Gyubarzo.
"Did you gain the Experience Points?" Zozogante asked Vandalieu.
Vandalieu checked his Status. "Well, I gained more than defeating ordinary Monsters. The flavor wasn't bad, either," he said.
Dargzobon, the evil god of mad disaster, had been a moderately powerful figure amongst the Demon King's army, but considering that, Vandalieu hadn't received that many Experience Points. But then again, Dargzobon had possessed not even a tenth of his original power… to be more precise, less than a year had passed since Zantark and the other gods had beaten him into a state of complete incapacitation.
In other words, when he came out of his seal, Dargzobon had been severely wounded and on the verge of death… essentially right by death's door. He had only been able to move in that state because he was an evil god.
It wasn't surprising that he hadn't provided many Experience Points.
"Come to think of it, do gods receive Experience points as well?" asked Vandalieu. "I've heard that gods don't have Statuses."
The Status System was something that Ricklent, the genie of time and magic, had created for humans, and the Demon King Guduranis had manipulated it to apply to monsters as well.
Thus, the gods who had existed since before the Status System and were superior beings to humans in the first place did not have Statuses.
The only exceptions in which they gained Statuses was when they possessed vessels or were reincarnated.
"There is no meaning in Experience Points for us," said one of Fidirg's heads.
"But when we're feeling good and physically eat our enemies, we might gain strength… maybe," said his second head.
"To be honest, it's our first time having an overwhelming victory over a god, so I don't really know,' said his third head.
It seemed that Experience Points had little significance to Fidirg and the other gods.
As Vandalieu reached the ground, Tarea emerged from inside him, having been equipped with the Group Binding Technique Skill.
"That was splendid, Van-sama!" she exclaimed, scooping Vandalieu into her arms with a well-practiced motion and bringing her face close to his. "So, how did the staff feel to use?"
Vandalieu was the only thing that she could see… because if she didn't do this, she would accidentally end up seeing Fidirg and Zozogante's forms.
Even Fidirg, whose appearance was not particularly grotesque among evil gods, would still appear to be a shocking, horrific monster from up close to Tarea.
"… Um, maybe we should keep our distance?" suggested Fidirg's third head.
"I am actually able to camouflage myself as an ordinary tree. Shall I do it?" asked Zozogante.
"I-it is fine! I am not the kind of woman who would interfere with the friendships of gentlemen!" said Tarea with a stiff voice, inadvertently squeezing Vandalieu harder.
"As you can see, the Gyubarzo staff is fine," said Vandalieu, holding out the ominous-looking staff made from the bones of an evil god with a dark blue Magic Stone glinting at its tip.
Mages' staves possessed the function of preventing wasted Mana as it flowed and concentrated during spellcasting, making the Mana easier to control. Considering their convenience, they were considered essential items for most mages.
Even monsters like Goblin Mages would always wield crude handmade staves, though the performance of such staves was truly poor.
However, Vandalieu had never wielded a staff up until now.
"It didn't explode as I passed the Mana through it, and it doesn't even have a scratch," Vandalieu continued.
Any staff wielded by Vandalieu would be immediately destroyed the moment he cast a spell, unable to withstand the sheer volume of his Mana.
But this staff, despite having been wielded by Vandalieu during battle, didn't have a single scratch on it. Perhaps it was to be expected of a staff created from the corpse of Gyubarzo, an evil god.
"That is a relief… though to be honest, I could not perform much processing on it and merely shaped the bone, so I cannot take much pride in it," said Tarea.
She had already acquired the 'Skilled Artisan' Job that she had only dreamed of in the past, but it seemed that materials taken of a god had been too much for her to handle.
"It cannot be helped that I could not assist with the Alchemy part of the process, but I wanted to create a staff that would be just as functional as Vandalieu-sama's transformation staves… It seems that I need more discipline," Tarea said in summary, having finished examining the staff's condition.
"We got three gods' worth of materials, so let's improve them as we go," said Vandalieu. "But that's the end of the gods that were in the Demon King's army that we got from Zantark and the others… I didn't think that all three of them would try to escape. I thought that at least one… no, that all three would choose to submit to me," he said, feeling confused as he placed an Orichalcum dagger and sheath… the Artifact that had sealed Dargzobon, into his pocket.
"It was indeed unexpected," Tarea agreed. "Given two options in a Dungeon with no escape… There is effectively only one option if they wished to survive, so I thought that they would certainly choose to obey."
Zantark and the other gods had informed Vandalieu what Dargzobon and the other two gods were like.
All three of them had always never stopped being evil since their time as subordinates of the Demon King, and that had not changed even up to the moment they were sealed. Thus, neither Vandalieu or any of his companions had expected that they would be able to persuade these evil gods to change their ways.
However, they had thought that they might submit if forced to. Vandalieu had tried to make them submit, since he would have to remove the seal to devour them anyway.
But not a single one of the three evil gods had submitted, knowing that they would face certain destruction if they were to ever disobey.
Thus, they had seen no option for themselves other than a desperate attempt at an almost impossible escape.
This was a different result from the image of evil gods that Vandalieu and Tarea had in their minds.
"Well, I suppose that is the expected result, though we only knew their names and nothing of their personalities," said Fidirg's first head.
"They did rampage as they liked up until now, just like evil gods are expected to do," his second head added.
"It just means they weren't ever gonna be able to join us," said the third.
It seemed that this result wasn't surprising to Fidirg at all.
Vandalieu was still confused, so Zozogante continued explaining.
"They are simply too different from you and your companions, Vandalieu-dono, even without considering the factions that you belong to," he said. "To some evil gods, clear skies and green trees feel filthy and unpleasant. It is not simply their colors; the activities of all non-monster creatures, as well as the emotions of love that humans feel, causes them nothing but fear and disgust. There are gods like that, and Dargzobon was likely one of them."
The evil gods who had appeared in this world under the Demon King's command had originated in other worlds. Thus, their sense of values, their ways of thinking and the entire structures of their minds were different from beings from this world.
That was why there were certain things that might be normal to the inhabitants of this world but abhorrent to some evil gods.
To Dargzobon and the other two gods that Vandalieu had destroyed, the teachings of Vida and the other gods of this world had merely appeared foolish, perhaps even disgusting and blasphemous – to the point that they would not be able to bear them at all, not even temporarily.
It didn't need to be said, but submitting and swearing allegiance to Vandalieu, who was the 'Holy Son of Vida' and Zakkart's successor, was equivalent to submitting to Vida's teachings.
They would not have thought that they could continue living like that. Even if they chose to submit and survive for now, they would be unable to bear obeying Vandalieu, and once they disobeyed… just by committing fiendish acts, which were completely normal to them, they would be destroyed.
That was likely why Dargzobon had pretended to attack and tried to make an escape.
However, there were other evil gods like Zozogante and Fidirg who were present right here next to Vandalieu, serving Vida's faction and able to converse with Vandalieu normally.
"… There are two evil gods right here who have adjusted to these conditions," Tarea pointed out.
"There are vast individual differences between us. There were those like Fidirg who were able to adapt, those like myself who never felt any repulsion for Vida's faction in the first place, and those like Gufadgarn and Mububujenge who were indifferent to any differences between us. These are the gods who accepted Zakkart's offer and betrayed the Demon King's army," Zozogante explained calmly.
"Of course, the ones whom Zakkart spoke to directly were those who were not in important positions in the Demon King's army," Fidirg's first head added.
"So, there might be other gods that we might be able to negotiate with and convince to cooperate with us, but…" said his second head.
"Don't think those kinds of gods are gonna still be rampaging around as they like a hundred thousand years later," said the third.
"I see. You're right," Vandalieu agreed.
Any gods that were still laying waste to this world a hundred thousand years after the Demon King Guduranis's defeat would never adapt to the world.
Incidentally, Luvesfol was originally an Elder Dragon of this world who had simply betrayed the other gods of Lambda; his sense of values wasn't actually much different from the other Elder Dragons.
"Come to think of it, what should we do with Luvesfol? If everyone is unable to forgive him, then we'll have you seal him away," said Vandalieu, mentioning the traitor that Pauvina had brought back.
Luvesfol was the one who had sealed Fidirg away and stolen the Lizardmen that were his followers. It was a matter of whether Fidirg could forgive Luvesfol or not.
Fidirg gave Vandalieu a sad-looking expression.
"I think I… have no more hatred for him," said his first head.
"Before, I wanted to tear him limb from limb if I ever saw him again, but…" muttered his second head.
"Now… I think it'd be more damaging to him to make him live as a pet," said the third.
Currently, though he had some degree of freedom, Luvesfol was a Dragon rather than an Elder Dragon, and the lowest of Dragons at that – a Rank 5 Wyvern. He was being treated like a pet by Pauvina. It seemed that Fidirg could not hate Luvesfol as he was now.
"I am not particularly concerned," said Zozogante, disinterested as he'd had almost no contact with Luvesfol before.
"It might be better to ask Shashuja and the others and see what they think," said Tarea.
"You're right. Let's go and see them after I see how Mom is doing," said Vandalieu.
And so, Vandalieu headed for the great marshlands after spending about an hour talking to Darcia, who continued to sleep inside the capsule.
He met Shashuja who happened to be observing the Armans' training. The Armans were the crocodile-like people who had mutated from Lizardmen through death-attribute magic and were now larger than Shashuja.
Vandalieu asked Shashuja about Luvesfol, but…
"Shu? Lushusheh?" Shashuja hissed.
It seemed that he didn't even remember Luvesfol's existence, let alone hate him.
The Lizardmen's worship in the past was a simple thing; they had only known that they were worshipping a god and couldn't even distinguish one god from another. With that and the fact that Luvesfol hadn't directly oppressed the Lizardman tribes, Shashuja didn't even remember who Luvesfol was.
And so, Luvesfol's life as a pet was set to continue without incident.
"Your Vitality has increased by 10,000! Your Strength, Agility, Stamina and Intelligence have increased by 1,000!"
"The Levels of the Rapid Regeneration, Magic Resistance, Venom Secretion (Claws, Fangs, Tongue), Enhanced Agility, Body Extension (Tongue), Artillery Technique, God Devourer and Soul Devourer Skills have increased!"
"The 'Improved Attack Power while activating a Magic Cannon' Skill has improved to Medium!"
"Status Effect Resistance has awakened into the Status Effect Immunity Skill!"
Yond, the grain-nation. It was the western vassal nation with vast lands filled with granaries that supplied the Amid empire. It was separated from the ocean by rows of rocky mountains, but it was a nation with moist soil that blessed the people with the gifts of the earth.
Yond was on the opposite side of the Amid Empire from the Mirg shield-nation, so it had never been directly exposed to war. It was always filled with a peaceful air.
But the air in Yond today was far from peaceful.
Farmers were fleeing with desperation in their faces, there was a young soldier following them.
"IT'S A MONSTEEEER! RUN, WE'RE GOING TO BE KILLED!" one of the farmers screamed.
"Help!" cried another. "Help us, aren't you supposed to be a soldier?!"
"Shut up! If you've got the breath to be screaming, use it to run faster!" the soldier shouted back.
In the distance, there was what appeared to be a humanoid creature covered in black fur, chasing after them.
But upon closer inspection, it was clear that this creature was actually a person with its entire body covered in sharp black needles, letting out strange, guttural noises.
Indeed, this was a person. Its features weren't visible beneath the long needles that were even growing from its eyes and inside its mouth, but it was likely a human or Elf, and likely a man.
If the farmers and soldier had some knowledge about marine animals, they might have described it as a crocodile-man.
But the needles growing from its body were sharper than steel, and the soldiers who thought it was a monster at first and tried to chase it away had been impaled and slaughtered, the needles piercing straight through their armor and shields.
Having seen this, the farmers and lone surviving soldier had started fleeing towards the village.
The monstrosity behind them was also heading towards the village, so even the farmers and soldier didn't know whether they were going to the village to warn their friends or whether they simply wanted to be saved.
What the hell's going on?! I've never seen a monster like that! We were just supposed to keep watch and stop wild animals from interrupting the harvest, so how did it end up like this?! the soldier thought desperately.
But as the monstrosity let out another guttural noise, the soldier realized that the monster's path was not towards the village.
Seemingly completely uninterested in chasing the soldier, it continued heading straight south.
Alright! If we keep running this way, we can get away! the soldier thought, hope shining in his eyes with this unexpected, fortunate turn of events.
He didn't know what the monster was thinking, but once he managed to get to the village, it would be the Knights' Orders and adventurers' jobs to deal with the rest.
He was a mere village guard; all he needed to do was keep the village safe and pray for heroes to do their work.
But the hope in his eyes faded in an instant.
There was an old woman in the monster's path who had tripped over and was now unable to move.
"H-HELP MEEE!" she screamed.
Perhaps she had been on her way to deliver lunch to the farmers or gather some medicinal herbs. There was still some distance between her and the monstrosity, but it was only a matter of time before she was impaled by those sharp needles.
"Damn it! Myne-baasan, get out of the monster's path, even if you have to crawl!" the guard shouted before he even realized what he was doing, putting himself between the monstrosity and the old woman.
He did this despite the fact that using his own body as a shield would only be able to buy a few seconds of time. Despite the fact that there was no way he had been born into this world only to extend the life of an old woman whose name he barely knew by a few seconds.
"Stone Wall! Stone Form! God damn it! Why isn't there a hero around when there's a monster on the loose?!" the guard screamed as he activated the martial skills of Skills that he had only just learned recently, increasing the defensive power of his wooden shield and hide armor.
The monster was more agile than it looked. As if responding to the soldier's scream, its needles extended towards him –
"There is a hero, right here," an echoing, reliable-sounding voice said suddenly.
"Huh?"
It was not only the monsters' needles that had responded to the soldier's scream. Something appeared along with the mysterious voice and sent the monstrosity flying.
"What is this… A spear?" the soldier murmured, looking from the monster that was now writhing on the ground after having been sent flying, and the glowing spear that had appeared in front of him.
The echoing voice spoke inside the soldier's mind once more.
"Come, Andy," it said. "Take that spear and seal the fragment of the wicked Demon King."
"H-how do you know my name?! W-who in the world are…?!"
"I am a spirit clone of Zaress, the god of soldiers. I am the god who guides you."
"W-why is a god speaking to an insignificant soldier like me?!" Andy exclaimed, bewildered by the majestic-sounding voice that was echoing inside his head.
But as he saw the monstrosity groaning and getting to its feet, his body sprang into action in a natural manner.
"Alright! What am I supposed to do now?!" he asked Zaress's spirit clone.
"Entrust your body to me for a short while, though this will place a great burden upon your body. It is still impossible for you to do this alone," Zaress's spirit clone replied.
The spirit clone descended upon Andy and took over his body. Using precise spear techniques, it cornered the monstrosity… the adventurer who had set off the Demon King's needles whose seal had come undone.
"MAIN BODYYYYYYYYY!" the Demon King's needles shrieked as Zaress's spirit clone successfully sealed them away once more.
His body having reached its limits, Andy lost consciousness and collapsed.
A god descending upon him had allowed him to exhibit physical abilities beyond his limits, but he had been unable to withstand the burden this had placed upon his body.
The next time Andy woke up, he was being praised as the hero who had saved the village, his Status had the Zaress's Divine Protection and Familiar Spirit Descent Skills, and he was no longer an insignificant soldier.
Meanwhile, people like Andy who suddenly heard the voices of gods and received their divine protections were appearing all over the world.
The people praised the gods for these miracles.
However, the truth was simply that Alda, the god of law and fate, had ordered his subordinates to search for candidates to become heroes and raise them so that they could oppose Vandalieu.
And he was also having them resolve the incidents caused by seals that had weakened due to the solar eclipse, since these were perfect for making use of the hero candidates.
The Demon King's fragments being released had been outside of Alda's expectations, and although burdens had been forcibly placed on some of the hero candidates like Andy, the incidents had been dealt with.
Some of the released fragments had been sealed by the Storm of Tyranny and Randolf 'the True' rather than the heroes chosen by the gods serving Alda, but there was no real effect on the masses.