Chapter 26: □□□□

In my hand lies a single ring.

It is the ring that the lineage of the true Asmodeus has inherited in absolute secrecy from the First Generation. It is the Ring of Solomon, which was supposed to have been returned to the Heavens. The First Generation once stole a ring from Solomon. While history claims it was reclaimed, the ring that returned to Solomon's hand was a fake. In other words, among the Ten Rings presumably stored in the Heavens, one is a counterfeit.

Why did Solomon, God, and Michael never notice? The reason is simple. This substitution was a conspiracy between the First Generation and Solomon himself; the King was the mastermind behind the plan. Between Solomon’s projection magecraft, his acting, and the absolute trust placed in him, both God and Michael remained oblivious to the fake ring. Even if they had noticed, it would never have been made public. Regardless of who the King was, it would mean God and the Archangel were deceived by a mere human.

He needed to leave a ring in the world for the sake of posterity. However, if he remained silent, it would have been collected by God. That is why he partnered with the First Asmodeus. Thus, the Asmodeus bloodline has preserved this ring until the promised day—all while concealing the truth from the other Devil Kings. This wasn't about outsmarting the other Kings. If anyone intended that, it was likely the other conspirator, the First Beelzebub.

『I take it you’re prepared then, descendant of Asmodeus?』

The voice sounded unpleasant. It sounded irritable.

"Yes, I don't mind."

To an outsider, it would look like I’m talking to myself. This voice can only be heard by me. And this voice is the Will of Solomon.

A resurrection of King Solomon is impossible. His soul, his spirit, and his flesh were all cast into the "System" by God. Both Angels and Fallen Angels have confirmed this. That is exactly why the Three Great Powers believe Solomon has no connection to the background of the Demon God Pillars. They want to believe that. Indeed, one cannot be resurrected without a soul, spirit, or body.

Before swapping the rings, Solomon sealed a fragment of his soul within it. This fragment would eventually take over the user of the ring. The First Generation inherited this secret knowing full well what it meant. None of the predecessors ever considered using it, nor did they speak of it to anyone. They were terrified. More than the King's resurrection, they feared their own will being overwritten by another. Even if one could obtain unparalleled power, there would be no "self" left to wield it.

I never once thought of using this during the civil war when our regime was usurped by Sirzechs and his allies. To use this would mean the extinction of the Devil race. No—extinction would be fine. If one could achieve a glorious death in battle to fulfill a Devil's true desire for destruction and dominion, that would be the best end. But Solomon possesses no such mercy.

I am different from how I was back then. I no longer need my own will. I have no lingering regrets in a world without her. It was only because she was here that I refused to use this ring.

"I surrender my body to you, Ancient King of Israel. Here, I fulfill the contract you made with the First Generation."

『Very well. However, the contract I made with the First Asmodeus states that I shall grant the wish of the one who offers their body, within my capabilities. Creuserey Asmodeus, state your desire.』

There was no need to think. It had been decided from the start.

"Death to the Maou of lies and hypocrisy, and to the Governor General of the Fallen Angels."

『That... won't serve as a compensation. From what I’ve heard of the current situation, I already planned to do that from the start. Well, not that I will be the one doing the killing.』

"A 'plan' is not enough. You must ensure it happens."

Ophis is gone. I have no idea where she went. The 'Snake' is no more. With my current strength, I cannot defeat Azazel, who killed Katerea, nor the Super Devil Sirzechs, nor Falbium who stands equal to him. I am weak. I can neither avenge the woman I loved nor restore the dignity of my name.

It wasn't just the position of Devil King that was taken. Her name—Katerea Leviathan—was insulted by a fake Devil King. She passed away without ever being able to wipe away that humiliation. I will never see her again.

『He was like that too, and so was the First Asmodeus. It’s nothing but irony that he ended up bearing the sin of Lust. You are, without a doubt, an Asmodeus.』

"I suppose I should say it's an honor, but those words mean nothing to me."

Katerea, it was enough for me just to have you there. I wanted to show you a world where you could smile from your heart.

『...I see the blood runs deep. Your obsession for a single woman outweighs your loyalty to your species.』

"Are you referring to the truth of the Book of Tobit my father mentioned? It doesn't matter. Hurry up. I might change my mind."

Solomon said nothing more. A massive amount of Magical Energy flooded from the ring. I felt a sense of exaltation and loss simultaneously. I could understand that "I" was disappearing. Everything within me was being overwritten by something else. As my memories began to lose their sense of reality, like those of a stranger, I thought of the other lineages of the True Devil Kings. I didn't think of her, who was waiting ahead, but of him, who still believes things can be worked out.

Sorry, Shalba. This is the end of our history—the history of Devils. I’m going on ahead. At the very least, I’ll take everything, including those fakes, down with me.

《So, in the end, what exactly did Solomon do?》

Following Hades' statement, more than half of the gods and devils present stood up. Some teleported away in silence; some fled while shouting abuse at the Three Great Powers; some, pale-faced, were supported by their subordinates; and others crowded Hades, demanding details. The reactions were as diverse as the gods themselves, but one thing was gone: the idea of "cooperating with the Three Great Powers to deal with the terrorists." They no longer had the luxury for that.

Those who remained were either skeptical of Hades' information or simply didn't want to believe it.

Sirzechs and Azazel couldn't simply accept it as truth and tried to stop the leaders who were attempting to leave. But they were silenced by a single question:

"If this turns out to be true, can you take responsibility?"

There was no way they could. There was no concrete method of recourse, and the Biblical Faction didn't command that much trust. In fact, the Devil King, the Archangel, and the Fallen Angel Governor-General were all left speechless.

Bennia heard of this scene from her father, the High-Tier Reaper Orcus. Having a human mother, she only knew the stories of the three-thousand-year-old King through mythology. However, regarding the King of Mages spoken of in myth, the world's reaction felt like nothing but a bizarre anomaly. What could he have done to be feared, loathed, and revered to this extent? Wasn't he just a wise king who received rings from God—not even a demigod? Thus, she took the opportunity to ask Hades. She had asked her father as well, but he said Hades would provide a more accurate perspective.

《Bennia. Have you never felt a sense of cognitive dissonance regarding the myths told by humans?》

《Huh?》

Suddenly, the conversation turned complex.

《Take the Three Great Powers, for instance. They are divided into God, Devils, and Fallen Angels. Yet, if you read the Biblical texts, Devils and Fallen Angels are treated as almost identical.》

In myth, Tiamat became the world; in reality, she lives as a Dragon King. In myth, Vritra is revived every year only to be defeated by Indra; in reality, his soul was split and sealed into Sacred Gears. In myth, the Midgard Serpent was cast into the sea by Odin; in reality, he sleeps at the bottom of the ocean by his own will. In myth, Typhon is sealed under a volcano; in reality, that is not the case.

If what is told in myth were fact, then Hindu mythology should logically be the most widely worshipped faith in the human world. Yet, in reality, the Biblical Faction has spread its teachings the furthest.

《Well, yeah, but... isn't that just the way things are?》

《Indeed. We can only think of it as 'the way things are.' Now, who do you think it was that defined it as such?》

At this point, the answer was obvious.

《Did I just hear something way more dangerous than I expected?》

《Indeed. It is good to have questions, but be careful from now on. Myth and reality have diverged. This divergence grows stronger as time passes. He made it so. But no one can rebuild the world anymore. There isn't enough resource or time to rewrite it. This is none other than Solomon's doing. This is the transgression he committed under the guise of an achievement for the Biblical God—in truth, it was to bury all other mythologies.》

A Grand Order that involved all myths and all of humanity. The laws of the world he rewrote continue to erode the gods even now. Until the day mythology is forgotten by every human being, there is no means of resistance. Though there were some lies involved, the gods permitted his plan.

《"The curse Solomon inflicted upon all of humanity—'The Truth' (Logos)."》

That King, who knew only anger, loved humanity enough to even make use of God.

Following Hades' bombshell, which forced the anti-terrorist conference to an abrupt end, the leaders of the Three Great Powers were delivered both good and bad news.

First, the good news: Hyoudou Issei had awakened. Both Sirzechs, Rias's brother, and Azazel, his teacher, were relieved. They couldn't help but wish he had woken up before the Game, but they couldn't afford to be picky. An even more critical battle might be about to begin.

Next, the bad news: a request for an audience from Rizevim Livan Lucifer to Sirzechs Lucifer. Furthermore, he was bringing Euclid Lucifuge with him.

The biological son of the original Lucifer. The only Super Devil of the Old Devil King era. He had been missing for a long time, but appearing at this timing could only mean one thing: the ring. If the Old Devil King Faction had obtained the ring, it would undoubtedly be in his hands.

"Nah, I don't have that King's ring. Besides, if I did, I wouldn't go through these annoying procedures to get here. I'd just go whoosh and bypass all your magical barriers."

Prepared for the worst, Sirzechs, Azazel, and Michael confronted Rizevim, but the group felt a sense of relief that the "worst-case scenario" hadn't manifested yet.

"Then who has it, Rizevim? A descendant of Beelzebub? Or Asmodeus? A Leviathan other than Katerea? Or does Vali have it? If you've obtained it, why hasn't the Old Devil King Faction made a move?"

"The 'Old Devil King Faction' doesn't exist anymore~"

"What?"

"Literally, they were wiped out."

Rizevim spoke nonchalantly. He forced a cheerful atmosphere, but a hint of bitterness flickered in his expression.

"Apparently, the ring Creuserey-kun got had Solomon's will sealed inside it~. You know, like how the True Longinus has the will of the Biblical God sealed in it. Well, it looks like Creuserey-kun's body got hijacked. By the hand of 'Solomon-in-Creuserey,' the main figures of the Old Satan Faction, starting with Shalba-kun, have been wiped out! Except for me and my grandson, Vali-kyun."

"The subordinate members, aside from those we personally kept as pawns, have either been confirmed dead or are missing. From the spies we had planted to the mere fodder whose names were only on the roster."

The report from Rizevim and Euclid described the worst possible development. It wasn't the fact that the Old Devil King Faction was gone. That should have been a major event, but a far greater emergency had arisen.

"Of all things, he sealed his will in the ring?! That piece of trash! He should have just stayed dead!"

The resurrection of the King of Mages. It was a delusion the Biblical Faction had discarded as the most "impossible" outcome, and an emergency that must never be allowed.

"What a catastrophe... If the Old Devil King Faction simply held the ring, we could have dealt with it. If he has returned, his goal is the collapse of the Biblical Faction... Which means the Demon God Pillars are indeed his subordinates. It makes sense why they would attack the First Generations. He doesn't intend to end things by just being sealed in a jar this time."

The goal of the Old Devil King Faction was, at most, world domination, and at least, the death of the current Devil Kings. Their middle ground was their own restoration to power. None of that would happen now as they fell halfway through. While that was good for the current administration, Solomon’s resurrection was nothing short of a nightmare.

"...No, this is a chance for a reversal. If he has truly returned, we should be able to gain the cooperation of other mythologies. If it were the Old Devil King Faction, other myths could avoid damage by simply not cooperating with us, but with him, that won't happen. We might even be able to propose an alliance to every mythology."

"Knowing that King, he probably finished negotiating with all the mythologies before making his next move, don't you think? That's how it was last time, right?"

"Then, if we can just persuade him—"

"Impossible."

Rizevim cut Michael off instantly.

"It’s a problem for me too if that King does whatever he wants. I mean, I’m probably the next one on his hit list, right? So~, I looked for a countermeasure. And I found one! But I can’t do it alone. That’s why I came to the current government to ask for protection and cooperation, Sirzechs-kun."

"...Understood. For the sake of the Underworld, let us join forces. So, Lord Rizevim. What is this countermeasure against that man?"

As if he had been waiting for that exact question, Rizevim curled the corners of his mouth into a vulgar smirk. Azazel felt he had seen that smile somewhere before, but he lost the train of thought at the next proposal.

"We’re going to resurrect the God of the Bible. I found the method."