“Wha… That’s just a bluff! This is our chance, let’s go!”
The S-Rank man rallied his hesitant comrades. He charged forward with his sword, but when Belial floated into the air, he was unable to give chase. It seemed that only the S-Rank magician who first stopped us had the ability to use flight magic.
Another A-Rank swordsman leapt high using a magic of great propulsion, but Belial easily evaded him and then spoke deliberately:
“Unfasten the wheels of the sun chariot. Stars, cease your twinkle and close your eyes. I am Belial, ruler of darkness, the clear shadow that stands against light! Darkness, yield to my command!”
It was my first time seeing Belial’s other title: the “Ruler of Darkness”.
When his “declaration” ended, black mist began emanating from Belial, filling the square-shaped, flame-neutralized space. This was a dark-attribute mist that carried a debuff effect.
It was his trump card against angels—his power as the “Ruler of Darkness.”
The adventurers gasped, cold sweat dripping down their faces.
They had essentially walked into a predator’s trap.
The title “Ruler of Darkness” was one shared by both Belial and Emperor Satan, who boasted the greatest power in Hell. This was said to be one of the reasons Belial was so highly regarded.
The flames were suppressed, and he was fully freed from the shackles imposed by divine power. A tremendous wave of magical energy surged through the air, brimming with his renewed strength. Even without the power of fire, he was completely unfazed.
On the other hand, the adventurers were weakened by the effects of the dark mist.
“Lord Belial, shall we compete to see whether I break this barrier first or you defeat them first?”
I didn’t want the deceived adventurers to die, but at this point, this was the only way to prevent their deaths. After all, with flames sealed, Belial would likely resort to dark-attribute attacks.
Among those, one of the most fearsome was “curses”.
Even while adhering to a contract not to kill, humans could easily die from a curse. Worse yet, the surrounding area could become contaminated by it. I needed to provide an alternative that didn’t involve curses…
“A contest with you? Now that sounds entertaining!”
“Then, in accordance with our contract, I agree.”
At those words signaling consent to kill, the air shifted.
Belial’s floating figure vanished, and he reappeared behind the man holding a spear.
“Wha—!? When did you—?!”
“You are far too careless in my realm of darkness!”
He struck the shocked man with dark magic, sending him flying effortlessly.
This movement—like stepping into the next room without opening a door—was a teleportation method using darkness. I had thought at first it was something all demons could do, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
Now, within the area of this mist, Belial could teleport instantaneously. Moreover, since he was fully attuned to darkness, no preparation time was needed.
“We must dispel this mist…! Once more, with holy magic…!”
At the mace-wielder’s words, the S-Rank magician nodded solemnly and began chanting a spell, this time in haste.
“Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of Hosts. O most exalted El Shaddai! We call upon Your name with joy. Shine through the break in the clouds. Strengthen and sharpen Your light. Let no evil presence escape judgment! Cast down the light of judgment from Heaven! Ciel Judgment!“
White light rained down, erupting in an explosion, but it was swallowed into the darkness as if consumed. Belial, who should have taken a direct hit, appeared utterly unfazed. The barrier itself seemed to have backfired on them.
The darkness deepened, and the light magic was significantly hindered from activating.
“This level of magic is no match for my darkness. Is that all you’ve got?”
“Ugh…”
It was as though he were mocking them for not even being worthy opponents. I needed to hurry…
“Why…? What’s going on!? What’s happening!?”
The B-Rank magician woman was on the verge of tears. I understood how she felt.
The two figures I had sensed earlier—who I presumed had activated the magic barrier—now appeared hurriedly from the shadows of distant trees.
I needed to break the barrier before anyone was killed!
I inspected the mechanisms at each corner.
“This is… Alectoria Stone. It’s a special magic core harvested from strong bird-type monsters. I see, it makes for an excellent barrier component. And these talismans… this is Eastern magic…”
“She discerned it instantly…”
The two men who had activated the barrier stared intently at my work, but there was no time to deal with them.
From within the dim mist, the sounds of swords clashing, explosions, and roaring magic echoed—evidence the battle was still raging.
Occasionally, I heard screams, but it seemed no one had died yet.
I retrieved a protective amulet from my item box, prompting the bow-wielding woman to gasp loudly.
“That… could it be!?”
“You recognize it? It’s the Planetary Talisman.”
A round amulet made of lead. It was black and inscribed along its outer edge with magical letters: “The four seas, the rivers severing the land, and the earth rising from the sea shall be governed.”
Inside the circle was a 5×5 grid with individual letters written in each square, forming a design resembling a magic square.
By the way, a “magic square” is a grid of numbers where the sums of each row, column, and diagonal are equal—a talisman of immense power.
“That… could it be!?”
“Do you recognize it? It’s a Planetary Talisman.”
It was a round talisman made of lead. It was black, with magical characters engraved around the outer edge: “The four seas, the rivers that sever the land, and the earth rising from the sea shall be governed.”
Inside the circle, there was a 5×5 grid with individual characters written in each square, creating a pattern resembling a magic circle.
By the way, a magic circle is a talisman where numbers are written in a square grid, and no matter where you add them, the sum remains the same.
“This time, I’ll use the second talisman of Saturn that prevents activity. Wearing this, I’ll cast a special spell. Since each talisman has its own effect, I must choose the right one when using it.”
As for the ranking of the talismans, this one is above the Talisman but below the Universal Seal, though when used correctly, it can be more powerful than the Universal Seal in specific situations. With this, it seems possible to destroy it.
“Because there is form, the end and destruction will come. The farthest Malefix, the star of disaster and the heaven of Binah. Saturn’s pentacle, wrapped in the upper air, grant me your power. Stop all activities that oppose me!”
The talisman shone silver, and magical power grew stronger.
Then, thin smoke rose from the Alectoria Stone and it shattered with a crack. The talisman seal also burned away, melting into nothing.
Immediately, the square barrier that had been confining them disappeared, and the black mist flowed out and thinned.
“…You were too quick. I thought it would take longer.”
It seems Belial didn’t intend to kill yet. I felt a bit relieved. It seems he just wasn’t done playing.
However, all the adventurers were crouching or kneeling, wounded and in poor condition. The mist was also making it difficult to move. The two who were outside the barrier hurried towards recovery.
“So, Belial-sama is the ‘King of Flames,’ but at the same time, he holds the title of ‘Ruler of Darkness,’ a title above fire and related to darkness. Making him use it would be a death wish, considering it’s a title for the final battle with angels. It’s not something for humans to witness. I was worried that the surrounding area would become tainted with curses, but it was extremely significant for me to verify the title of darkness.”
I was explaining this to the seven who had been fighting and the two who helped set up the barrier’s spell. Everyone had already lost their fighting spirit. Not that it was surprising.
Fighting the King of Hell was basically impossible for humans…
In front of me, everyone was sitting on their knees with their heads bowed.
“It seemed like you were playing around while waiting for activation. You were a bit too biased towards holy magic, making it difficult to fight. By the way, I’m also proficient in light attributes, so I would have preferred to fight on that side.”
“…There’s no need to be so blunt with your honest thoughts.”
As I was explaining things to the nine who were quietly listening, Belial made a sharp retort.
The reason he spoke so little was that he had to report the use of darkness to Emperor Satan. It seemed that the Emperor would notice.
The male mage who had been using light magic muttered, “So, your specialty isn’t darkness, but light…?”
“As for the client, Count Matvei Cherenche Abakarov, it’s just a matter of revenge because his allies were defeated when he was interrupted while flirting. It’s ridiculous to risk one’s life for such a trivial matter. Moreover, I’m sure more of his crimes will come to light.”
“No way, that’s a lie! I saw the burned village with my own eyes!”
A man, apparently the leader of the S-rank adventurers, shouted.
“…By Belial-sama? If there were still any remnants of the foundation, that wasn’t his fire, right? He wouldn’t make such a foolish move after burning a village.”
“…There was smoke, and the remnants of burned buildings scattered around…”
The man holding a spear answered, recalling the merciless scene with a frown.
Well, I’ve never seen him conduct a village burning, but if he were to do it, he would do it thoroughly. I can easily imagine him laughing in front of the flames as they consumed everything…
“It must have been the bandits burning the village.”
That’s probably what happened, I think.
“Right now, my friend is compiling the report. How about you go confirm it with the representative?”
“…Report?”
The woman with a bow asked, confused.
“I’m under the protection of Duke August . I’m planning to report to His Excellency about the Count trying to make a move on me and all his previous crimes.”
“The Duke’s… protection!?”
It was the male S-rank magician. He must have heard rumors about the Duke.
After talking for a while, it seemed everyone finally understood.
They were nice people, and they apologized profusely. Seeing the burned village firsthand had shaken them, and they couldn’t remain calm.
It seemed they had prepared well, thinking they could defeat a demon with a noble title that used flames.
Since the Count himself made the request, I wanted them to explain things as witnesses to His Excellency the Duke.
I told them that, and the leader, a 40-year-old S-rank male, and the man using light magic with a mace decided to come with us. I also wanted to speak with the man who used light magic.
The others would wait at the nearby Tenatite. After all, it would be problematic if a large group suddenly came to my house.
When I got home, Ekvar was there, reviewing the report he had written on the sofa.
“…What’s wrong? If you were hiring adventurers, I could have gone.”
It was easy to tell that the two were S-rank and A-rank by their rank emblems.
After I explained the situation, Ekvar expressed regret that he couldn’t go, as it would have been interesting to see. But he quickly cheered up and exchanged greetings with the two men.
“Well, because it’s the Count we’re dealing with, no one wanted to become a witness. It would really help if you could go and testify.”
“Of course. I’ll cooperate fully to make up for the trouble I’ve caused. Thank you, Ekvar-kun.”
Ekvar shook hands with the S-rank male, then with the other man, clearly pleased that this would add credibility to their case.
The Gawkelena that Albertina from the Fen Duchy sent had been received by Ekvar. I’m a craftsman, so it was delivered through the Commercial Guild, and they were really surprised by how many Gawkelena there were. I’m glad it was Ekvar who handled it… He probably came up with a good excuse to get us through it.
