The Lazy King

The Lazy King Chapter 5: Gula

Part 1: This World is… Hell

Within the whole world, I think that the hardest feeling to bear is『Hunger』.

The Demon World is absurdly vast, by I doubt there exists a longing that surpasses this thirst.

Thus, after being given life as a Demon, when I was selected under Gula, I thought it to be a natural matter of course.

The months and years passed by favorably, and as I lived thinking of nothing but how to sate my hunger, the class I was burdened with had changed to『Demon Lord』 when I wasn’t looking.

If you ask whether anything changed once I became a Demon Lord, nothing changed at all. The only thing I am capable of is eating, and I was more than satisfied with that alone.

Perhaps a change to speak of was that I became one of the strong, and therefore, the extent of what I could eat had increased.

It was survival of the fittest in the truest sense of the word. Because we were a bit stronger, we ate, and as a result, our classes advanced.

It didn’t take long for the target of that desire to shift from what the other Demons called ‘Food’, to inorganic matter, and finally those of the same race.

The fact that other Demons taste good is a sort of common sense among those that carry Gula. Eating them takes up too much effort, so there are few that actually do it is all… meaning as long as you take care of that single point, there is no need for hesitation.

I lived a long time.

I was born as a Demon, became a Demon Lord, became the Great Demon King’s subordinate, and ate all the opposing Demon Lords.

The stronger the targets were, the better they tasted on my tongue.

Within Demons, there are about five ranks.

Meaning, starting from『Rankless』, it goes to

『Pawn』

『Knight』

『General』

『Lord』

These five.

Rankless have the least taste, and Lords are a delicacy.

Additionally, their taste changes based on the attribute they carry. If you asked me what the supreme food was, I would definitely say『Demons』.

To Gluttony, that is cursed with unlimited hunger, no matter how much food you have, it is never enough.

Born as pure predators, Gluttonies are never loved by their race. Because of their nature that rashly excels in attack power, if they act too indiscriminately, there’s always the fear that their surroundings will work to eliminate them.

Order was needed, so the quickest solution was to put them under the protections of someone of a high rank.

And that was the Great Demon Lord. That’s all.

Without any real difficult reasons, and without any particular circumstances. For such simple reasons, I became a Demon who followed the Great Demon Lord, and I got retainers, and land, and… the right to devour Demons that opposed us.

Even more time passed.

My power as a Demon continued to rise, and my hunger along with it.

My tongue matured, and normal food would no longer sate my hunger in the slightest.

The Great Demon Lord changed generations thrice, and one who hadn’t even existed when I was born, Kanon of Ruin, took over.

She was a deep crimson Demon, a beautiful personification of the flames of purgatory.

I still remember the audience I had with her when she took office.

The magic I felt from her body blazed up in a manner fitting of Ira, and the surrounding air seemed to burn with tremendous heat at the might that filled it. I felt that I was going to prostrate myself at any moment against that might.

I thought of how beautiful and strong a Devil she was.

And within her, was overflowing charisma.

If it’s with this Great Demon King, then I’ll be able to satisfy my hunger to levels I’ve never felt before.

I’ll be able to taste flavors I’ve never learned of.

And at the same time, I thought.

If I could ever get a taste of her… the sensation would be good enough to send me to heaven.

My parents, and my friends, and my retainers, I even ate other Gluttonies.

I ate Sloth, and Greed, and Lust, and Wrath, and Gluttony, and Pride, and Envy.

In tears, in anger, in laughter, in gratitude, they were eaten.

There is no ranking among food, and thus, everything in this world has equal value.

Whether disgusting, or delicious, even if I knew it would never fill my stomach, I ate.

This world is… hell.

It expands. It contracts. It changes. War starts. War Ends. Things fall. Things revive. Everything is perpetually in a state of change, and what prospers must decay. But within all of that, the only thing that didn’t change at all was my hunger.

Only hunger remained constant.

Along with the endless euphoria I experienced upon sating it.

So me raising a revolt against the Great Demon King, Kanon Iralaude was likely not a matter of food supplies or anything. It was probably just a matter of time.

Because I’m a Demon. A Demon of Gluttony.

Part 2: Let me Have a Taste

This level of Magic wasn’t able to satisfy my Soul Core at all.

It was so nice back in the day. The Demon World was simply overflowing with powerful demons who had spent long years satisfying their desires.

Perhaps I’ve just lived too long. Perhaps I’ve just eaten too many tasty things. And within our limited resources, in order to satisfy our matured tongues, we continued to struggle like children.

Fufufu, it was so nice back in the day… is it? I’m starting to sound like an old person.

About ten thousand years ago, most of the powerful Demons… in a large scale war with the invading army from heaven, most of them perished.

What remains of the demons now. The Demon Lords are all youngsters who haven’t ten thousand years under their belts.

“Zebul-zama, I’m hungry.”

A Demon with a Wolf’s head spoke.

He’s General Class, and another who governs Gluttony. For someone who has yet to reach Demon Lord status, I more than understand his pain.

“Fufufufufu, of course… I’m the same. Endure it. The meal eaten after enduring the utmost limits of starvation is the greatest of bliss. They say hunger is the best seasoning, right?”

“Food… I wants… food.”

The sweet scent of blood and flesh and souls tickles my nostrils.

While I may be called something like the Carrion Devourer, I’m a scholar on the journey for supreme tastes, and I don’t just devour anything out there. I don’t know where that name came about.

I cross my feet onto the pure white throne of marble. Muffled cries are coming from the mouth of the food carrying the throne.

For Demons of Pride… breaking their pride before eating them creates the greatest taste.

But whatever the case, I don’t feel very much power from him anyways. I guess the taste will be reasonable, at least.

Of course, my stomach is endless, so I won’t do something as foolish as wasting food. I never miss my prayers before and after a meal.

Blood spills out like a fountain, and stains my face. At the same time, the throne begins to sway.

“H-hey! Don’t just eat them as you please!”

“Gu?”

When I frantically look underneath it, I saw the form of my subordinate gnawing on the head of another with his massive jaw.

Aaaaaah, right when I was in the middle of food preparations…

Even if the materials are bad, they don’t understand my sentiment of making them as tasty as possible.

But raising a crunching sound, the smile that bust out on that wolf face made me feel it didn’t matter anymore. It’s because I can understand how he feels.

Good grief, what helpless children.

I jump off of the Throne, take the right arm of the corpse that had lost its freshness, and put it in my mouth.

The ripe soul only gave off a sweet taste for an instant. With a few chews, it disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Well, well, good grief. This doesn’t do anything to my hunger.

When I was ripping off the left arm, the wolf head spoke.

“Gu… Zebul-zama… yo fazt…”

“Yeah, I’m… one who can eat a bit.”

“Didn’t you juzt eats a Demon Lord…”

“Yep, that was tasty.”

As I thought, Demon Lords are different. The depth of flavor is different. The texture is different. I can clearly tell that my body is happy when I eat them.

Even if they’re newcomers, the magic they possess is completely incomparable to the General Class below them.

The Wolf finishes up the head, but when it looked through its spoils for something more, the libs were already gone.

He directs accusatory eyes at me.

“Unfair…”

Well, well.

The things kids say these days.

The endless longings he held in regards to food made me speak with admiration.

“Not unfair, not unfair. You have to take your own food… by yourself. The one who fought Claud Astal was me, right? It’s natural that I be the one to eat him. Did you perhaps do anything?”

“Zat demon juzt now… I killed him…”

“… Really? Was that how it was? Fufufu, well, the achievements of the vassals are those of the King’s correct? If you hate it… you’ve got to rise up in the world.”

If you do, you’ll someday come to learn the taste of a Demon Lord. Well, perhaps you’ll live happier if you never learn it.

I activate a Gluttony Skill.

I use my magic, and my stomach shakes even further with hunger.

『Million Dish』

The tentacles that grew from my back pierce the body of the former Pride Demon that had already lost its head and limbs.

The wolf head raises a cry.

“Wait…”

“Fufufu, well, I’ll leave you a bit.”

Gluttony skills are used only during meals.

Each tentacle moves individually, and the Pride Demon’s body was eaten up in under a second.

The wolf head hurriedly tried to bite at it, but his teeth clicked together fruitlessly in the empty air.

Fufufu… to intrude on another’s meal, what bad eating manners, kid.

“Aaaaaaaah, you zaid you would… leave a bit…”

“Fufufu… thank you for the meal… it tasted decent.”

Even if he’s General-class, I guess that’s all he’s got. As I thought, back in the day…

No, that was only the Fifteenth Rank Demon Lord. The Demons he’s amassed are just that level.

“… Zebul-zama…”

“Fufu, see, I left it, did I not?”

The teary-eyed wolf… he’s a General Class Demon belonging to my army, Gar Luxeed. I pointed to the pure-white throne, and offered it to him.

“… The throne.”

“I don’t… needs a plate.”

Good grief, as a General Class, he lacks dignity… shouldn’t higher class Demons have a bit more elegance?

Ahaha, well, wolves are carnivorous, was it? That is… I’ve done something bad.

But you shouldn’t be so picky with food.

“I see… fufu, then I guess I’ll eat it…”

“… Edible thingz are edible.”

“When it comes down to it, sometimes you have to get down and eat the dirt and stones as well.”

The mouth on the hand I pointed with… the fangs shaved at the marble.

It’s not a bad taste. But even if it’s made with high quality materials, in the end, it’s just a plate. It’s fine for fooling my hunger, but as I thought, it can’t rival what’s supposed to be on the plate.

The war’s long since finished, and this is the victory banquet.

The army of Pride has fallen, and all the enemy soldiers became food.

They definitely weren’t a match for me at all. Despite having their Demon Lord with them, in just two hours, their defeat was already decided.

Our army only contains Gluttony Demons, but Gluttony excels in attack power, and the most basic of Gluttony Skills, 『Wave of Starvation』 is one with a large area of effect.

As long as I’m here, all Demons below a certain level of ability simply get caught up in the skill, and end up as nothing but food.

Of course, I did make sure to hold back, but they were an indecisive bunch from the start.

Fufufu, there’s no meaning in an indecisive Superbia Demon. In the end, he’s just a loser who submitted himself to Kanon Iralaude.

Pride is… stronger the more arrogance one has. And that also increases the flavor.

There’s also the fact that the difference in rank between us was too great, but the 『Overrule』 the Demon Lord used wasn’t anything special either.

His screams of despair weren’t bad as a seasoning, though.

Having finished eating the throne, I pat my stomach.

I’m quite slim. All the nutrition goes to feeding my Gluttony Skills.

“Zebul-zama… I’m hungry.”

“Hmm? Already? … I guess it’s because there was just quantity without quality…”

With this, I’ve barely broken even with what was used up by my skills.

I scan the surroundings, but everything I could gnaw on had disappeared into someone’s stomach or another, and all I saw were eyes sparkling with hunger.

Well, well, regular eating should give a better feeling of fullness, but… well, there’s no helping it if they can’t endure it.

Since I just ate a Demon Lord, I can still hold on for a while, but answering to the expectations of his men is also a King’s duty, is it not?

I hit the palms of my hands together, and addressed the faces of my men, who were seething in their basic desires.

“Now, let’s go search for some more food…”

“YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!”

My subordinates cry out. The ground shakes under their hunger, and the cries of beasts ring through the air.

They have more than enough motivation. A majority of my gluttonous followers have the forms of beast. For them, who have not the power to bite through everything, it’s a form they’ve taken on to at least be able to eat chew through some hard things.

And so, my army’s members… aren’t that good at using their heads. Well, to do nothing but eat, there really isn’t the need.

Among them, the one who’s actually known as quite a resourceful General, Gar, has drool dripping from his mouth as he unfurls a map.

The Great Demon King’s Castle, the Palace of Rending Flames is surrounded by other Demon Lords’ territories, and it doesn’t look like we’ll be able to reach it so easily.

So before eating Kanon-sama, having the other Demon Lords as appetizers as we continue towards the Palace is a wonderful plan if I do say so myself.

Fufufu, even I… taking on multiple Demon Lords at once will be difficult. Let’s just go around eating them in order.

As long as the Great Demon King goes into my stomach, my abilities should rise further. I could even be the King in her place.

It’s because the Demon Lords are all overflowing with ambition. No one will care about a King who was weak enough to get eaten.

On the route Gar pointed to, was a territory divided by a line.

A vast land along the path with the shortest distance to the Great Demon King. Its width was such that adding together the land of the Demon Lords I ate yesterday and today wasn’t nearly enough. An expanse that would take more than a day to cross, even on a Flying Dragon. If we wanted to avoid this land, we’ll have to take on quite a detour.

Upon seeing the name marked on it, I knit my brow.

“Oh my… what a navigation error. Why is it that with almost twenty Demon Lords out there, this guy’s name has to pop up?”

“Hmm? Iz there a problem?”

“A big one. BIG ONE. For god’s sake, what was Mizna and the others thinking when they thought up this route…”

“Zebul-zama… Mizna isn’t here anymore. Setter and Grad as well.”

“No, I know. They were tasty.”

I understand, but, you know, I want to offer a word of complaint or two.

I remember the three Kanon-sama dispatched to keep watch over me.

My own men are of no help in planning, so my invasion plans were skillfully drawn up by those three. Of course, I wasn’t honest enough to tell them it was all to eat Kanon-sama.

All they thought up was the route. Naturally, as they were under the direct control of Kanon-sama, they would only be in the way after that, so once they had drafted a plan, they became my dinner’s appetizer.

In the end, a General Class, taken by surprise at that, is no match for me.

Well, I did savor the taste. The fact that they were much tastier than the generals of that Pride army must be a difference in basic quality.

But still, for it to have come to this…

For once in a long time, an emotion other than hunger floated up. I touched the name on the map.

Honestly… I really don’t feel up for this one.

“Waz the problem?”

“… You, could it be you don’t know of the Demon Lord of Acedia, Leigie of the Slaughterdolls?”

Former Rank Four. After some recent achievements, he’s been promoted to Rank Three; a high ranking Demon Lord of Sloth.

It’s not like a Demon Lord’s strength can be determined solely by ranking, and it’s not like I’m that afraid of his strength. He isn’t some newcomer, like me, he’s an old age Demon Lord who survived the Heavenly War ten thousand years ago. But that isn’t very scary to me.

Of course, I’ve never fought him, but the fact that he’s clung to life for this long also means that he’s stored up just that much power. Thus, it’s completely true that he won’t be as easy as those Rank Fifteen and Rank Sixteen Lords, but the essence of the problem lies elsewhere entirely.

I let out a deep sigh.

And to my cute subordinates, who didn’t understand anything, I delivered the shocking truth.

“Demons of Sloth are… bitter, aren’t they?”

“Bitter…?”

“Yeah, I always honor whoever I beat by eating them whatever they may be, however… even for me, I don’t want to eat a Demon of Sloth.”

“Eeeeeeeeeh?”

Gar jumps up in a gesture of surprise.

You’re overreacting… I think as I survey the surroundings, only to find my subordinates, who never think of anything besides eating, and never display a fragment of intelligence staring as if they had just seen something unbelievable.

Nononono.

I tried to give a simple explanation. This is the knowledge of Gluttony.

“No, it’s not, well… the lower level Demons are fine, you see. But the more they carry their Sloth to the extremes, the ways through which they can carry it out increases… Within them, in order to prevent getting eaten, there’s this skill that drops the flavor of their meat and soul, so…”

That’s dangerous.

It’s an individual skill, and quite a High Ranking one, but it’s a terrifying expression of flavor.

That taste is, in itself bitter enough to give permanent mental trauma with just one bite. It’s not on a level where some people who like bitter foods can partake in it. It’s not a matter of like, or dislike. It’s just plain bad.

Even for someone called the Devourer, in eating, I only want to eat the best of foods, and from one who’s even eaten all sorts of poisons to try and fill my endless stomach… it’s bad. It’s terrible enough to kill. It was the first, and only thing in my life to ever give me a stomachache.

Then there’s always the option of swallowing whole, you may think, but that’s wrong. Their taste resounds in their very souls. Even if you send it directly to your stomach, it’s without a doubt terrible.

To change taste as not to be eaten, it’s like an attribute of a fruit.

“Lower level Sloth… has a nice affinity, and they don’t move, so they’re easy to hunt, and their flavor is unique, but not bad…but it has to be a Demon Lord of all things.”

“Meaning?”

In a beat, I put power into my words, and declare.

“The worst tasting thing in this world. There’s no question about it.”

“Oooooooooooh.”

I’m not sure what they’re misunderstanding, but they’ve started clapping.

… You guys, you don’t get it at all. I guess that’s true. Gluttony’s outlook on food is excessively open minded… so not being tasty is one thing, but I’ll bet they’ve never tasted the true meaning of Terrible.

I cannot help but bless them for their good fortune. Among my thousands of years of life, it’s a trauma that goes directly in my top three.

Well, you don’t often get a chance to eat a Sloth Demon, and once they go above General Class, they appear on the battlefield less and less, so I’ll bet we won’t meet any.

… Hmm?

“… I see… You anticipated that he wouldn’t come out. Mizna…”

“Hm?”

I see. If you put it like that, then I understand.

Truly, a Demon Lord of Sloth personally participating is impossible.

If you ask why, unlike Gluttony, their cravings do not require them to harm others, and the Demon Lord of Sloth should be the laziest existence within the entire Demon World.

There’s no way he would join in something as troublesome as a war. Even if the Great Demon King ordered it, it’s impossible.

I tried looking through my memory for Leigie’s face, but I couldn’t bring it up.

Having served under the reigns of three different Great Demon Kings, I should be the oldest veteran within Kanon-sama’s army, but no matter how far I probe my memory, I cannot picture the image of Leigie of the Slaughterdolls.

I frowned, as I concentrated nutrients to my brain. And I was finally able to pull out a memory.

It’s definitely faint, but I remember.

He was definitely there during the festival in which Great Demon King Kanon-sama took office. Being pulled around by his inspector.

He had black hair, and an unreliable slim figure. How the hell is that guy a… I remember the other Demon Lords saying such things.

“Whatz wrong? Zebel-zama…”

“… Wait a second. Huh? I think he was there for the previous King Ferris Craun as well…”

My memory traces even further back.

The festival when the previous Demon Lord was instated.

My memory is hazy, and everything looks covered up by mist, but he was definitely there.

A black haired, and sloppy-looking man, carried on the back of his subordinate. How the hell is that guy a… I remember the other Demon Lords saying that. Just barely.

I tilt my head.

“… Huh? Hang on, just how long has he been there… Ferris Craun was in office for quite a while, wasn’t he…”

Ferris was inaugurated as the Great Demon King more than twenty thousand years ago.

Even I can’t remember the Great Demon King before that, but when I first became a Demon Lord, was that man there? Wasn’t he?

A Demon’s lifespan is exceedingly long, but for him to live this long, he must have considerable power.

I think he wasn’t there that long ago, but I don’t have too much confidence in it.

Probably because whether he was there or not wouldn’t change anything…

“Zebul-zama, what shoulds we do?”

“Hmm… Even if you ask me that. Since we’ve come all the way here, we have no choice but to go for it.”

We’ve already burned our bridges on the way here, so it all depends on how fast we can take down Kanon-sama.

Taking a roundabout way is… unfavorable. We’ll have to head forward with determination and resolve.

Luckily, Sloth is said to excel in durability. It has an exceedingly good affinity with Gluttony. As long as I can endure the taste.

No, for taste… it’s been a really long time since I last ate a higher rank Sloth. My memory is vague, and it could be that only the impact remained in it, and if I try eating one now, it won’t actually be so bad.

Yeah. That’s right. The past aside, there no way the current me can eat something and be repulsed by it.

What’s more, there’s no way that Sloth will actually come out. If they offer any resistance, it’ll be the Sloth’s army at most. Leigie’s army is definitely known to be powerful, but at most, they’re full of Generals. No match for me.

On the contrary, I can’t wait to taste them.

“Okay, then we’ll go on a direct path towards the Palace of Rending Flames!”

“YEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”

Kanon-sama… please wait for me.

I am, as the representative of all Gluttony Demons, going to get a taste of you.

Part 3: Let’s Dig in

My regrets came all too quickly.

The fact that I wasn’t going to be able to eat a Demon Lord, coupled with the swiftly-dwindling motivation of my Legion.

It’s not that I had let my guard down. Perhaps I should say, ‘as expected of a Demon of Old.’

Generally, Demons get stronger the longer they age. It’s because they have more time to proceed down their tree. Of course, power doesn’t rise if you spend the whole time doing nothing, but at the same time, the Demon World isn’t the type of environment where you can spend all your time doing nothing.

Even without Gluttony, the order of the Demon World is survival of the fittest. In a world like this, it’s a terrible move to underestimate a Demon who has perpetually carved out their existence.

Taking the shortest path, my arm has long-since entered the territory of the Lord of Sloth.

And there was something I noticed.

Gar has a rare, bewildered, expression as he turns his eyes towards me.

“… Zebul-zama… the Zone is…”

“Yeah, I know… damn, it isn’t breaking at all. What is this…”

It was frighteningly secure, and the air was stagnant.

That was the property of this field every Demon allied to a Demon Lord should know of.

『Abyss Zone』.

A battle for land between Demon Lords.

We were once allies, but now Leigie’s 『Abyss Zone』 is bearing its fangs at an opposing army. As the zone works with the Demon Lord at the center, I’m not affected, but even so, for my Zone not to reach Gar who’s running right alongside is more than abnormal.

I’ve eaten for long enough that numbers are of no importance, but I don’t remember anything like this.

My instincts tell me there’s only a little more to go… The Zone I’m competing with is stronger than any I’ve encountered before, but with him this far away, I have the advantage.

But I’m just a little lacking in power. It’s been two days since we marched forth after eating that Demon Lord, so hunger is one of my problems.

In this state, I can’t make full use of my power of Gluttony.

“It’s just a little further… damn, even if it took time, and we would have to take a detour, I should have eaten another Demon Lord before coming here…”

As expected of Rank Three. He’s really giving me trouble. From start to finish, he’s completely different than those other two.

Even if it doesn’t matter in fights between Demon Lords, when armies are involved, 『Abyss Zone』 makes a huge difference. Rather, if a friendly Zone is broken through, it’s best to retreat.

Well, the moment it breaks is usually the moment before defeat, so that’s quite impossible.

After proceeding a while, I sensed the scent of excitement and fighting spirit drifting around.

It’s no Glutton Demon. It’s much sweeter, a scent that whets my appetite.

Battle is just around the corner. I don’t know if their Demon Lord is there, but it feels that they won’t let us pass so easily.

That’s about right. If they did something like letting the Demon Lord who ate two others pass, their presiding Lord would get executed by Kanon-sama. That’s exactly why those past two lords launched attacks on me despite their fear.

Should I just eat these guys already?

I turn to my own army.

No, not yet. Even if I do, the power I’ll gain from it is limited. I’m not sure about General Class, but any Demons below that will go into my stomach without purpose.

In the first place, breaking through their Abyss Zone by eating the friendly soldiers it’s supposed to strengthen is pointless.

Will the Demon Lord come out?

That’s the main problem.

If he isn’t there, then in the worst case, I could use a skill to eat their entire army… with Gluttony Skills, it’s possible.

If the Demon Lord comes to attack personally, I’ll have to concentrate on that, so I’ll have to leave Leigie’s army to my own troops. To combat Leigie’s army without the bonuses of my Zone is a bit much, even for the Gula Army that specializes in attack.

From a strategic standpoint, the enemy should send their Demon Lord. Unless the army is considerably powerful, you have to send a Demon Lord to combat another if you want a chance of victory.

But the opponent is Sloth. With that in mind, there’s no way he’ll come out. What’s more, he should be a Demon of the same level as me. The pursuit of his cravings should have become his existence itself by now.

And in order to substantiate that, Leigie has never stepped on the battlefield alongside his army. At the very least, within all my memory, Leigie hasn’t fought a single time.

I feel my canines with my tongue, and start up a Skill.

Let’s show off my appetite to Leigie for a bit.

A support Skill, 『Fleeting Requiem』.

With me at the center, all area within a few meters is visited by 『Night』.

Those touched by it have their magic devoured, a Skill of Gluttony. It’s a variation on 『Wave of Starvation』, and one of the ones I obtained upon become a Demon Lord so long ago.

To those that touch it, it inflicts damage, and all magecraft and skills that try targeting it are disassembled, and used to supplement my own magic. It truly is a manifestation of my ceaseless appetite.

It even devours Leigie’s Abyss Zone, and while it may only be a small radius around me, I deploy my own Zone.

Like a slap on the face, I felt a strong bitter sensation. On the unexpected sensation, I grimaced.

Just eating his Zone tastes this bad… this is why Sloths are…

“Zebul-sama, something is coming.”

At that moment, my subordinate gave a report.

Across the desert, the shadow of a single person running entered my senses.

No, it’s wrong to say it was only one. It was one, but at the same time, many.

Those same shadows, of a Female Demon around the same size as me, split into numerous bodies, and came closer with considerable speed.

“… Hit her down!”

The entire army is late in following my orders.

The approaching party… was made of only one.

More importantly, about a few hundred meters behind her, an army more than twice our size was approaching…

They sure are underestimating an army led by a Demon Lord. I’m amazed that there’s a skill that can deceive my eyes, but even so, the power I sense from that girl isn’t great.

A slight bitter scent is mixed in with the smell coming from her. She isn’t a Demon Purely aiming to fulfill a single desire.

A sharp killing intent emanates from all the split bodies as one.

I look through my mind for what sort of skill it could be. Through the large number of Demons I’ve eaten, my battle experience sees through it.

It’s probable a Luxuria high ranking Skill. I believe there was a Demon Lord Class Skill that could birth multiple phantasms with physical substance.

Well, it doesn’t seem to be coming from her herself.

Fufu… do you not know of my Rank? Of my name?

Whether you be a 『Knight』 or a 『General』… if you think that’s enough to beat a Demon Lord, then I sure am being looked down upon.

… Well, you’ll have plenty of time to regret it. Within my stomach, that it.

One of our front line Demon’s 『Wave of Starvation』 eats up one of the illusions. Against the power that devoured her magic, I definitely witnessed the small girl knit her brow.

She’s inexperienced. She hasn’t been in battle long enough. No, she’s been sent to confirm our power, I see.

Fufu, so be it. How about I play with you?

Against the young girl’s fleeting beauty, the Demon’s hand stopped for a moment.

His appetite quickly returns, but he’s too late to launch an attack. The girl easily dodges, and gouges out his throat. What refreshing skill.

To be bewildered by beauty… Fufu, how nice it is to be young. Go youth. Go youth.

I reach my tentacles through the ground to eat the fallen Demon. My magic increases ever-so-slightly.

I don’t have the time to savor the taste, but your sacrifice will not be in vain… because this world is survival of the fittest.

Gar uses his fangs to pierce the girl from behind.

But that body immediately fades like a dream, and it dispersed as pure magic energy.

Without leaving anything behind, I suck it up. It’s sweet. It’s extremely sweet magic. I see.