NOVEL WEB Chapter 100
100. Go, Demon Generals
The castle of darkness, made entirely of black—the Demon King’s castle.
At its deepest throne, the Demon King sat.
Meriel was bowing before her master.
Her hair, silver and reaching her waist, and her eyes, reminiscent of rubies.
She wore a gothic lolita outfit.
She was a demon general with the appearance of an innocent girl.
“Even Dialva has been defeated.”
The Demon King groaned bitterly.
“In the end, that one only had skill in relying on sorcery. His fate was sealed the moment he stepped onto the front lines.”
The one who answered was the demon general bowing beside Meriel.
A humanoid silhouette covered in an outer shell resembling brown rock.
Originally towering over twenty meters tall, he now used his magic to shrink down to around two meters.
It was Victim, the Ironhammer Giant, the largest of the Six Demon Generals.
“If it were me, I would have acted more cautiously. His impatience was his downfall.”
Despite his intimidating appearance, his voice conveyed deep intelligence and reason.
“Was it really a mistake? At that moment, the sorcery was about to be broken. I don’t think Dialva’s judgment was wrong.”
Meriel countered.
“What caught us off guard was the coordination shown by those with the power of the gods.”
She recalled the battle footage the Demon King had shown her recently.
The two skill holders moved in perfect sync, enhancing each other’s powers.
It was a force fundamentally different from the demons, who only thought of their own gain.
A power born from shared hearts, connected souls, and mutual understanding.
“…You’re praising humans.”
“Not at all. They are insignificant. I simply wish to say we shouldn’t underestimate them.”
She addressed Victim’s suspicious glare.
“A battle that only those with hearts can fight… is that it?”
Meriel muttered in a low voice.
Suddenly—
“What’s with all the muttering? It’s getting on my nerves.”
A childlike voice came from behind her.
The speaker stood beside Meriel, not kneeling, and grinned at the Demon King.
Shoulder-length black hair.
Dressed in black.
A beautiful boy clad in darkness, with a face that could be mistaken for that of a lovely girl.
“Should I just kill you, Meriel? Wanna try getting sliced by my scythe? You’ll die in an instant, fuhihihi.”
“I’ll pass, Zarea.”
Meriel glared coolly at the boy.
Zarea, the Grim Reaper.
One of the Six Demon Generals, a master of death magic and assassination.
“Don’t say that— I’ve been itching for a kill lately since there haven’t been any missions.”
As he spoke, the blade of a scythe appeared at Meriel’s throat.
It materialized from thin air.
“Would you mind retracting your blade?”
Meriel remained unfazed.
“Otherwise, I won’t be able to show any mercy myself.”
Behind her, countless staves floated into the air.
Like the boy’s scythe, they appeared from the void.
“Heh, The Grim Reaper vs. The Thousand Mage—who’d win if you fought to the death? Doesn’t that sound fun?”
Zarea’s eyes gleamed with a twisted delight.
“Enough.”
The Demon King’s quiet command stilled the air.
“—My apologies, Demon King.”
Meriel withdrew the staves back into their subspace.
“Aww, couldn’t you let me blow off a little steam?”
Zarea pouted but pulled back his scythe.
“Haruto Riva couldn’t be killed by Gyrasvrim’s power or Dialva’s sorcery. We cannot underestimate his absolute defense.”
The Demon King declared.
“But there is a weakness.”
“A weakness…?”
Meriel inquired.
“The ability only activates when triggered. Therefore, attacks outside his recognition range won’t be countered.”
“So, assassination, huh? Fuhihihihi.”
A dark, murderous smile spread across Zarea’s beautiful face.
“If you let me handle it, I’ll kill anyone. Once I succeed, make me the head of the Six Demon Generals, alright, Demon King?”
“How dare you speak so rudely before the Demon King.”
Victim scolded.
“Come on, I want to climb the ranks. I have to seize every opportunity. I can’t suppress my ambition, y’know?”
Zarea laughed wickedly.
“There’s no need to rush. Each of you will have a role to play.”
The Demon King spoke heavily.
“But those humans protecting him are troublesome. Haruto himself has no offensive power, but by defending his allies and making them effectively invincible, he maximizes their attack potential. Dialva fell because of it.”
“I see, Demon King, you’re wary of the coordination between the skill holders.”
Victim remarked.
It was a stark contrast to how he reacted earlier when Meriel made a similar observation.
His loyalty to the Demon King was clear, Meriel mused inwardly.
“If a holder with killing power had partnered with him, they might have been a real threat to the demons. Fortunately, they took each other out.”
“Indeed. Humans are foolish creatures.”
The Demon King nodded at Victim’s words.
“But there are still skill holders remaining, all of them a nuisance to us demons. In preparation for the coming war between gods and demons, Haruto Riva must be eliminated swiftly.”
“Oh, you’re gonna kill him? Really? Fuhihihihihi, that’s great! Give me the order, Demon King. I’ll take all the glory.”
Zarea bounced excitedly.
“Calm yourself, Zarea.”
The Demon King’s quiet voice cut him off, then he continued.
“First, we must lure him in.”
“Lure him in…?”
“If a Demon General slaughters humans—if they unleash enough murderous intent—those like Gyrasvrim would be on the brink of extinction in no time. I’ll create the ‘place’ and ‘opportunity’ to mitigate that.”
“A place and an opportunity…”
Meriel echoed the Demon King’s words.
“I’ll create the place myself. As for the opportunity—you will create it, Meriel.”
“Me…?”
Meriel involuntarily gasped.
She felt her heartbeat quicken.
“You have already established a somewhat friendly relationship with Haruto Riva and those around him. Therefore, it should be possible for you to lure them in.”
“Do you mean… deceive them?”
“Meriel, are you perhaps objecting?”
Victim growled suspiciously.
His mask-like face, made of rock, stared at her with a single red eye in the center.
“…!”
She couldn’t suppress the slight stiffening of her expression.
Had this wise demon general seen through her heart?
And the Demon King—?
“Of course not.”
She desperately tried to keep her voice from trembling.
She was naturally bad at lying.
But if she were to be seen as having objections or dissatisfaction with this plan—
She wouldn’t be surprised if the Demon King disposed of her on the spot.
“If I can contribute to the Demon King’s plan, there would be no greater honor. In the name of The Thousand Mage Meriel, I swear I will succeed.”
Meriel bowed deeply.
That statement, at least, was an undeniable truth.
“I will use Haruto Riva and the others, without fail—”
As she spoke, a dark cloud loomed over her heart.
“The discussion is over.”
The Demon King ended the meeting.
“Go, Demon Generals. As planned, eliminate the one with the power of the gods.”
“Understood.”
The voices of the three demon generals echoed in unison.
(Using those girls to lure out Haruto Riva is the best move… but that means—)
Meriel bit her lip as she pondered.
Carrying out the Demon King’s plan—
It would mean severing her ties with Alice and Lilith.