Chapter 8: Are you okay with that?

My memory—Yuto Kiba's memory—begins with the experiment of the Holy Sword Project.

It was one of the clandestine research projects conducted by the Church: human experimentation to artificially create wielders for Holy Swords that could only be used by a select few. That was the Holy Sword Project. The test subjects were owners of Sacred Gears related to swords who were also orphans, including myself.

We all endured the experiments, and we all sang hymns. But everyone died. Everyone except me died. The researchers decided to dispose of us as 'failures' who could not wield the Holy Swords. There were children who wanted to live more than I did, yet I was the only one who survived.

After escaping the facility, I was picked up by the President—Lady Rias Gremory. I received the 'Knight' Evil Piece, a name, a home, and love. But inside my heart, a swirling hatred remained for the people who participated in that project and for Excalibur.

That's why I felt it was fate when a person wielding Excalibur appeared in this town. Along with a Fallen Angel executive, the very researcher who led that project also showed up. I could not possibly forgive them. To avenge the unfulfilled regrets of my comrades, I had to defeat Excalibur.

Then, I learned the true intent of that research. The essence of the study was not to create people who could use Holy Swords, but to extract the factors necessary to use them. By collecting small factors, integrating them, and creating a larger, unified factor, they intended to make the Holy Swords wieldable by anyone. In other words, a future where we would fight for God and the Church with Excalibur was never meant for us in the first place.

Valper Galilei, the researcher involved in the Holy Sword Project, deemed the results unnecessary and tossed the crystallized factors obtained from the experiment to me. From that crystal, I heard them: everyone's voices, everyone's songs, everyone's wishes.

Hearing everyone's voices, I reached it: Balance Breaker, the Holy Demonic Sword of the Twin Conquerors, Sword of Betrayer.

I confronted the Excalibur integrated from four swords. ...Including the Holy Sword stolen from Irina Shidou when she came to this town, Kokabiel should have secured five Holy Swords. The fact that he only integrated four must be because that is the limit. If Excalibur is incomplete, I have a chance of winning.

No matter how versatile its functions, it is not scary if the opponent cannot wield it properly. Moreover, Freed's movements seemed worse than they were the other day. Although the movements themselves are faster, his consciousness doesn't seem to be keeping up with them. Perhaps he made further modifications to his body in this short time.

I charge straight at Freed and slash!

"Tch!"

Freed parries my strike and manages to evade it. However, perhaps due to his awkward posture, he couldn't lessen the strain on Excalibur. The aura of the Holy Demonic Sword and my sword strike shattered Excalibur.

Freed leaps back to create distance. But I don't pursue him; instead, I confirm one fact: Excalibur is in pieces.

"—Did you see that? Our power surpassed Excalibur."

We did it. I finally did it. I achieved my revenge.

"Ah, it broke, did it? Patchwork really doesn't work out, does it? Maybe it's also because I wasn't used to the 'adjustment' of my body... But still, it's a shame that the brother I've heard about didn't make it in time."

In contrast to Freed, who didn't seem bothered at all, Valper was distraught. But his distress seemed to be about my Holy Demonic Sword, not the destruction of Excalibur.

"Im-Impossible! Holy and Demonic power cannot intertwine! C-Could it be, not just the Maou, but God also..."

"Fuhaha, fuhahahahahahahahaha!"

It was Kokabiel. He let out a burst of laughter and landed on the ground. He had immense confidence and aura.

"But, you followers of God and you Devils fight well, even after losing the one you should serve."

Kokabiel's sudden remark was cryptic and mysterious.

"...What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you while I'm at it. Not just the Four Great Maou, but God is dead, too."

—! What did he just say? God is dead?

"It's natural that you don't know. Who would dare to announce that God is dead? Since information could leak from anywhere, only a few of the top leaders in the Three Factions know this fact. With the death of God and the Maou, the balance of power between Holy and Demonic has collapsed. Because of this, unique phenomena occur in various places. The fact that the brat over there could create a Holy Demonic Sword is also because the balance between Holy and Demonic has been disrupted."

My Holy Demonic Sword was born precisely because God is absent. I find that ironic. Even though I defected, I dedicated most of my life to God.

"...The agreement regarding the powerful pillar-shaped creatures is also due to this. Perhaps some faction noticed God's absence. The Three Factions have not recovered from the Great War of the three-way deadlock. If a war breaks out, Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels will all crumble. Even so, it's unbearable! An alliance with Devils and Angels? Don't be ridiculous! Are the proud Fallen Angels supposed to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them for the sake of some incomprehensible creature?! They—you—are our mortal enemies! How can we fight alongside such beings?! In the last war, we might have won if we had just kept fighting!"

I see. I thought it was strange for the God-side to form an alliance with Devils and Fallen Angels. It makes sense if God is gone.

"I will start a war! With your heads as souvenirs! I will continue what was started back then, even if it's just me! I'll show Michael, Sirzechs, and those unknown monsters that we Fallen Angels are the strongest!"

Leaving us stunned by the shocking truth, a voice spoke up.

"—Heeeey?"

The voice belonged to Freed. He had a look of scorn on his face, laced with a deeper madness than usual. However, it was directed at Kokabiel, who was supposed to be his boss. Something was different about him compared to just moments ago.

"Oh, I see, I see. So that damn God is dead, huh? The tagline is 'Unique and Absolute,' but isn't that just fraud?! Well, I guess this is the Buddhist principle of impermanence! Oops, that's a Buddhist term. I used to be a Christian!"

"...Freed?"

"Hey, you might be strong, but your head is loose, right? Talking about war-mongering is a bit too arrogant, I'd say. Or maybe you just lack charisma. You're just a decent mid-boss, a sacrificial dog at best. 'Fallen Angels are the strongest,' my ass. You don't even know you're dancing in the palms of the true generals!"

"Freed! What are you saying?! What do you mean by 'palms'!"

"This is what I mean."

I felt as if the temperature around us suddenly dropped. Was it a premonition of what was about to happen? Cold sweat broke out. I wanted to stop Freed, but my body was trembling and wouldn't move.

"Manifest. Engrave this. What is reached here is one of the 72 Pillars of the Demon Gods."

As Freed chanted the spell, an intense light burst out from him. It was too bright to look at directly, and I shielded my eyes with my hand. When the light subsided, and I looked at the spot where Freed had been, there was a 'monster.'

Its towering figure was pillar-shaped, with no limbs or even joints. Strange, blood-red eyeballs covered its columnar body. It was a monstrosity that could only be described as hideous.

No doubt about it! This is the pillar-shaped monster that reportedly attacked the Original Maou! Its appearance is almost identical to the records sent from the Underworld. The color is different, but it must be the same species.

Was it disguised as Freed? No, there is also the possibility that the previous chant was a spell to transform into this monster.

Kokabiel's expression turns grim. It's said that the treaty against this monster is what drove him to this atrocity. He must find it utterly detestable. He creates an extra-large Spear of Light in his hand.

"Hmph! To appear before me! You shall be made to know the power of a Fallen Angel!"

"――――Shatter."

For a split second, explosive energy filled the surroundings.

"Eh...?"

There stood Kokabiel, with everything from his right shoulder up and a portion of his abdomen completely obliterated.

It was overwhelming. A Fallen Angel recorded in the Bible was brought to the brink of death in a single strike.

"I-Impossible. Me..."

"You are already obsolete, ancient Fallen Angel. Once the absence of God is confirmed, your only value is your pathetic form. Use your life to prove our power."

You aren't even worth killing.

Kokabiel, upon receiving this pronouncement, showed more terror than humiliation on his face. It was natural, as the implication was that the strike had deliberately avoided a vital spot. And we felt the same way, as we now had to face a monster like this.

To us, sweating relentlessly from the sheer pressure, the columnar monster quietly introduced itself.

"I am Gremory. One of the 72 Pillars of Solomon, Gremory."

...! What did this monstrosity just say? Gremory?

I doubted my own ears, and my vision caught the figure of the President, ablaze with intense anger. I could sense how furious she was from her grim expression and the surge of magical power emanating from her body.

"You have some nerve to claim the name Gremory in front of me! Fine, Mr. Meat-Pillar. I will obliterate you, just as you wished!"

The President unleashes a massive wave of Demonic Power of Destruction! It was probably an attack using all her strength. Even a High-Class Devil or a high-ranking Fallen Angel would be in serious trouble taking that head-on. However, the columnar monster took the blow without avoiding it. Even if it was stronger than Kokabiel, it shouldn't have escaped unscathed—

"That is my line, my counterfeit."

—But it was unharmed. The words it spoke were not even slightly tinged with pain. Despite no apparent effort to defend itself. To our despair, the columnar monster stated calmly. It was so matter-of-fact, as if our despair and the ineffectiveness of the President's power were extremely obvious.

"We are the true 72 Pillars. The primordial formula that served the King of Magecraft Solomon. Know that you counterfeits cannot even compare to our strength."

That was not a declaration; it was a pronouncement. It was not conveying its own will. It was merely conveying a 'fact.' A fact that was too self-evident. However, it was a sight too far removed from our common sense to accept.

"Our purpose in manifesting in the human world is twofold. First, to slay every single Devil who falsely claims to be one of the 72 Pillars. Death to those who defile the names of the 72 Pillars and the great name of our King."

The columnar monster emphatically stated that it was the genuine 72 Pillars.

"And second, to eliminate the incompetent God who allowed such degradation. However, if he has already passed away, there is no help for it. If the throne of Heaven is empty, we shall simply offer that seat to our King."

The word 'King.' This means there is a being who commands a columnar monster of this magnitude. What kind of monstrosity is it, and how much stronger is it than this monster? The fact that a being claiming to be one of the 72 Pillars calls someone 'King' means perhaps—. The Underworld might now have to fight an unimaginable enemy.

But before that, we have to survive. Even if we defeated Excalibur, it means nothing if we don't live! Yet, just facing this thing makes me feel like I'm going to be paralyzed by its intensity.

All the eyeballs on the columnar body turn their gaze towards the stunned President.

"My counterfeit. You will die here. I will kill your father and your brother. I will kill all our counterfeits. The counterfeits of our brethren shall also be treated the same. We alone are enough for the 72 Pillars of Solomon."

After making that declaration, the meat-pillar's red eyeballs fixed on me, Koneko-chan, Akeno-san, and Issei-kun.

"Run away, poor children. Our objective is only the aberrations who defile the human world. I have no intention of killing you, the victims of an incompetent God and our counterfeits. If you wish, I shall remove the blight residing in your bodies. —You may live again as humans."

"A-As humans?"

"Indeed. We have established a method to extract the foreign objects that our counterfeits call 'Evil Pieces.' We can turn you back into humans. You may live again. Life as a Devil must have been excessive suffering for a human."

The 'blight' this monster refers to is the 'Evil Pieces,' I see. I've never heard of a way to turn someone reincarnated as a Devil back into a human. I can't even imagine such a technique exists. And yet, I couldn't help but feel like it was the truth.

"It's all right now. You don't need to suffer anymore. Though it's taken far too long, I will save you."

Because there was compassion there, and care. I felt a saint-like benevolence that was terribly mismatched with its appearance. So much so that I felt myself naturally inclined to accept the call to 'live again as a human.'

"Don't mess with me!"

But that wavering in my heart was stopped by Issei-kun's angry shout.

"You're the real Gremory? And the President is a fake? Stop talking in your sleep! The President is the President! She is Lady Rias Gremory! She is not someone a disgusting monster like you can call a fake! I'm glad I became a Devil. Don't you dare call it misfortune!"

That's right. What was I thinking? I was saved by the President. If it weren't for the President, I wouldn't have been able to defeat Excalibur like this. The one who helped me was Lady Rias Gremory, not some pillar-shaped monster. We—

"I've seen the President's natural breasts, and I've even touched them! My next goal is to suck them. Until the day I suck the President's boobs, I will continue to fight as the President's servant Devil!"

Issei-kun, I don't think this is the time for that kind of talk. I wish he'd give me back my heartfelt inner monologue.

"I see. While I cannot empathize with your opinion, I can understand it. Your words are surely a very human opinion. To—to suck your master's bosom—Yes?"

Hm? Did this ugly meat-pillar just make a very idiotic sound?

 "Are you okay with that?"

"Huh? 'Okay with that,' what are you talking about?"

"We considered the possibility that you might reject our proposal. There are even girls who live only for a fleeting moment yet reject eternal life. Therefore, we did consider that some might embrace life as a Devil. But... isn't there, well, more?"

A question tinged with slight impatience. Why? This terrifying monster suddenly started to seem so human.

"Do you not have a faith to dedicate yourself to, a passion to illuminate a nation, a desire to gamble your life on, a resolve to show your pride, a conviction to relentlessly pursue an ideal, a loyalty to offer for eternity, a spirit to defy God, or a hope to live through today?"

In response to the monstrosity's query, Issei-kun clenched his fist.

"What are you talking about!"

I had expected Issei-kun to give a serious answer after being questioned like that—I was naive.

"If there were a God of Boobs, I'd pray even with a headache! I burn with passion for boobs! My desire for boobs is second to none! Loving boobs is the very meaning of existence for me, Issei Hyoudou! I'll do anything to suck boobs! I swear absolute loyalty to the President, who possesses such magnificent boobs! I'll fondle those boobs even if I have to defeat God! —Because boobs are truly wonderful! Especially the President's boobs, they're the best in the world! Just being pampered by the President makes becoming a Devil worth it! Besides, I'm going to become a High-Class Devil, get beautiful girls and women as my servants, and build a Harem! Go back to being human? Stay out of it! I won't be popular even if I go back to being human! I can't forgive you for interfering with my Harem Plan!"

I think you're trying to sound cool, Issei-kun, but I don't think that's going to cut it.

"For the sake of my Boob Life, I'm going to defeat you!"

"I see..."

Issei-kun! I hate to interrupt your momentum, but please notice! The one you call a monster, and the one I too could only see as a monster, is incredibly troubled! No, is it troubled or perhaps bewildered? Maybe 'lamenting' is a better word for it.

"Our wish is inferior to lust. Was our research correct, I wonder?......................"

After that, the monster remained silent. Only Issei-kun looked puzzled, but everyone else had a look that said, "That figures."

We know nothing about this monster. Yet, this much was conveyed to me. And I'm sure everyone else—except Issei-kun—understood.

The monster is now silent, with an incredibly ambiguous expression—!!