Chapter 8: Now, Let’s Begin the Usurpation

Zebel Glakos, Demon King of Gluttony—better known as Zebel the Voracious. He was the most fearsome of Demon Kings.

Among the Demon Kings under Kanon Eiraload, the Great Demon Lord who commanded the largest force in the demon realm, he would easily rank among the top ten. The assigned ranks didn’t necessarily match raw combat ability, but within the Great Demon Lord’s army, Zebel still stood at fifth place.

Before the army assembled in formation, he raised his voice with grand theatrics.

"Do you understand what that means, gentlemen?"

"…………"

It was common knowledge that devils didn’t always look humanoid.

The stronger the devil, the more likely they were to assume a human shape, but their forms always reflected their essence.

The sight of countless misshapen devils of every variety lined up in orderly ranks was rare even among demon armies.

All thanks to the skill of the master who ruled this land. The power of a Demon King’s skill infused the land, bolstering allies.

The Demon King’s universal class skill, and the most famous of all: Chaos Dominion — Abyss Zone.

That was why the deciding factor in devil battles wasn’t the size of armies, nor terrain advantage, but the difference in rank between the Demon Kings leading them.

Lord Lazy himself hadn’t appeared at the front line, yet the unseen clash between Demon Kings had already begun.

Zebel the Voracious’s Zone was surely encroaching upon Lazy of Sloth’s, generating a field tilted in his own army’s favor—even if invisible to the eye.

Kik-kik-kik. Do your best to hold out.

Well, I’ll lend a hand or two myself.

"In other words… we’ve been granted the honor of slaying a Demon King. And not just any Demon King—an upper-class one. Kik-kik-kik, the boss doesn’t mess around, huh? To give us such a grand opportunity…"

If possible, I’d have preferred him to go easier on us. But that was asking the impossible.

Most likely, the boss didn’t even remember that Zebel would be attacking.

But that didn’t matter to us, the ones fighting on the front line.

To satisfy Greed, you can’t fear risk. Play it safe, and you’ll die an insignificant backwoods devil.

I drew the sword at my hip.

The demon sword Celeste.

Every swordsman—no, every devil—knew its name. A legendary blade.

All eyes locked onto its burning blade.

Like a crimson sun, the demonic energy flared. In my hand it shone like a pillar of light piercing the red skies of the demon realm, power far exceeding anything I could unleash alone.

Kik-kik-kik. With this, I’m worth a hundred men.

And on top of that, I’ve got a few more swords of nearly equal rank. Not as great as Celeste, but close.

"Let’s go, you lot. Gold, glory, power, women—it’s all ours for the taking. Unleash your desires and prove your might to our Demon King, Lazy Slaughter Dolls, and to the Great Demon Lord, Kanon Eiraload. Make Zebel of Gluttony understand, in his final moments, just who he’s picked a fight with."

The horde of aberrations roared like thunder.

They weren’t fools. Powerful Demon Kings attracted powerful followers. Not through rewards or commands, but by the sheer pull of fate.

That savage aura of battle-lust roused their instincts to the fullest.

Above, in the burning red skies, a nihilistic blue moon—the Blue Moon—floated.

The territory still belonged to the boss. In the distance, across the wasteland, the shadow of Zebel’s black Gluttony legion surged forward.

Midia rose to her feet.

Her outline wavered like mist, only her oppressive presence confirming her existence.

Because of our differing specialties, she and I rarely fought side by side. Yet from that single movement alone, I could tell the caliber of her demonic power.

Lust’s skills were a world utterly alien to me. Not that I’d never fought Lust devils before—but at general-class? Those didn’t come around often.

High-grade illusions that deceived the five senses, even of devils with strong resistance to mental contamination.

The lecherous gazes of my subordinates shifted in an instant.

Kik-kik-kik. She’s a terrifying woman. After all, she’s the only female commander in this army. Underestimate her, and she’ll strip the soul right out of you.

"I’ll go first. Any objections?"

"Kik-kik-kik. Do as you please, Lust Luxeria. You’re our guest today, after all."

The first strike? She could have it. All I wanted was results.

I’d let her gauge the enemy first. That was Luxeria’s specialty, after all.

Midia’s form blurred again. Not like an afterimage—it didn’t return. Instead, there were suddenly two of her. Both identical, both speaking in the same imperious tone.

"Greed Avaritia, my thanks."

"…Save it. Just make sure you don’t get killed in one blow."

"Fuh…"

Lust Luxeria chuckled at my words.

And in the blink of an eye, the two Midias multiplied into countless figures.

So this is… the Lust skill tree. A devilry founded on temptation and phantasm.

Unbelievable. To create illusions that even deceive my eyes… and to spread this many in an instant?

Damn, she’s a monster. My resistance skills aren’t blocking it at all.

I swallowed my shock, keeping it from my face.

Compared to this, every Lust devil I’d ever seen before was child’s play.

Skills had ranks. Without unlocking the prior ones, you couldn’t know what came next. So I had no idea how much Lust she must have fed to gain powers of this level.

Midia licked her lips with an alluring motion. They glistened blood-red, as though painted with crimson. Enough to make you believe she truly embodied her Sin.

"Then, I’ll be off."

Her white robe swirled.

Each of her countless selves moved differently, cloaks rippling as they charged forward.

Across the wasteland, without a sound. Swift, yet unnoticed.

Their presence flickered like heat haze—so faint, so elusive, they slipped past even the senses of mana detection.

Impossible. Impossible. Impossible!

This ability of hers… the name is no lie.

So the rumors were true? No—she’s far beyond them. If even I can’t resist, then Zebel’s legion won’t see through it either.

At this rate… they’ll be deceived and slaughtered.

She doesn’t even need me to act.

I’d heard Luxeria’s higher-tier skills were second to none in sheer dreadfulness, but to think I’d actually witness them here? The world really is full of surprises. Lucky she’s on our side.

Well, even as an ally, she’s a pain in the ass. This way, none of the credit’s gonna end up mine.

"Oi, you lot! This ain’t playtime! Follow Midia—full-scale charge! Otherwise, the girl’s gonna snatch up all the glory for herself!"

At last, my words seemed to sink in, and the devils under me dashed after her. But their gazes were still locked on the countless Midias scattering across the field.

Tch. Every damn one of them’s been deceived. If Lust were on the enemy’s side, this’d be a nightmare. Should I start equipping them with resistance gear?

No… would magic trinkets even work against illusions on this scale?

As the horde thundered down the hillside, kicking up dust, I turned to the one aide who hadn’t yet moved.

The devil of Jealousy, Invidia—Liber Aigens. Small, not much muscle to speak of, but unmatched in knowledge, scholarly to the core. He’d come with me when I joined this army, and he was my closest ally.

In demon wars, identifying an opponent’s skills was vital—it shaped entire strategies. So naturally, I turned to the scholar-devil. Not about the enemy, but about our own supposed ally.

"Oi, recognize that skill?"

Liber’s violet eyes stared shamelessly at Midia’s phantasms before he answered. Kik-kik-kik. He might look like a brat, but this guy once earned medals fighting the angels of the heavens. Of all my friends, his knowledge of devils runs the deepest.

"I’ve never seen it directly… but I’ve heard of it. Lust’s supreme skill. An SS-class technique—Phantom Armament Dance. A skill that produces illusions with physical form…"

Grinding his teeth, his face contorted into a fiendish grimace, Liber’s voice rumbled like it was echoing up from Hell itself.

But I couldn’t care less about his face. His words alone knocked me off balance.

"…Hah? You’re shitting me. SS-class? That’s beyond the scope of a general, isn’t it?"

"…I can hardly believe it myself. And yet, it must be true. Even with my resistance, which surpasses yours by far, I cannot pierce her deception…"

And that was no lie. The nature of Jealousy skills meant Liber’s resistances were leagues beyond mine.

Oh, hell. This is real.

An SS-class Lust skill tree? That’s the territory of a Demon King.

Even I, a general, have only unlocked Greed up to the upper tier—S-class.

And that cold, aloof girl… she’s reached that height? How?

Did she keep it all hidden inside? Never show it outwardly? A closet pervert? No, no, ridiculous. A devil’s craving isn’t half-hearted like that. So what trick is this?

No—why the hell has she attained that level and still isn’t a Demon King?

No, wrong. That’s not the point to worry about right now.

A Demon Lord’s skills far surpass those of any ordinary devil. Who knows how many abilities they can wield. If Luxeria can handle SS-class Lust freely, then even an upper Demon King would struggle. Especially with no intel on her. There just aren’t that many high-ranking Lust devils around, after all.

Shit. At this rate, she might just devour the Gluttony Demon King herself.

I drew another sword from my subspace armory, gripping it in my left hand. Celeste blazed as I glared across the wasteland, toward the girl as she closed in on the enemy.

That white cloak of hers stood out like a beacon, yet still, eyes couldn’t hold her.

"Tch. No helping it. I’ll move too. Liber—you ‘envy’ the girl’s skill."

"…But my slots are already filled."

Tch. He really doesn’t get it. An opportunity to envy Luxeria’s supreme skill doesn’t come around often, you know?

The Jealousy — Invidia class is a tricky one. Get too greedy, and you lose sight of when to use it—end up a dime-a-dozen devil who can’t do a damn thing.

"Liber. Drop my Usurpation."

"…I see. It’s been useful, though."

Liber nodded without hesitation, quick on the uptake as always. That’s what I like about him. That’s why he’s my partner.

"Kik-kik-kik, don’t worry. Once your tree expands, you’ll have open slots again soon enough. With a top-tier Lust skill under your belt, you can release the rest easily. You’ve practically met all the conditions already, haven’t you?"

"…Yeah. I suppose I have."

Jealousy’s skill set let you completely mimic another’s ability—though with strict limitations and usage caps.

Still, it was damn convenient. Meet the conditions, and you could wield even Demon King-class skills.

And this was my chance. Getting close to an actual Demon King wasn’t so easy, not with those requirements.

But the skill Midia had just shown was powerful, versatile. If I could get my hands on it, I’d grow even stronger.

Closer to becoming a Demon King myself. Usurpation Degi and Pursuit Liber together? Unstoppable.

Kik-kik-kik. Seems my luck’s finally turning.

Time to begin the usurpation.

"Sorry, girl. That skill? I’m taking it for myself."

Strength, glory, treasure, everything—it all belongs to me.