Hell Mode: Volume 7, page 28
“Ahem! It seems that you didn’t hear me, Director Shinorom!”
When he raised his voice, the very air in the laboratory seemed to tremble. The transparent tube in front of him shook, small bubbles forming as liquid overflowed from the rim.
“Huh?! Wh-What’s going on?!” Director Shinorom was so surprised that he almost jumped. He covered both of his ears with his wrinkled hands, and his mouth literally dropped open as he shouted in alarm. He looked behind him and smiled when he saw Ardoe. “Oh, if it isn’t the Supreme Commander. What brings you here?”
“The Demon Lord is waiting,” Ardoe replied, explaining the purpose of his visit.
His closest subordinates had already gathered at the Demon Lord’s throne for a regular strategy meeting, but Shinorom, who was scheduled to give an important report essential to their strategy, had not arrived. As such, Ardoe had taken the initiative and come to pick him up.
“Oh, is that all? Ramon-Hamon’s adjustment seems to be going well, so please leave me be.”
“‘Is that all,’ you say?!”
For a moment, Ardoe could not understand what the other man was saying. Eventually, however, the meaning of the words began to sink in, and his anger rose as they did. His fists clenched and the muscles from his wrists to his elbows undulated like ropes. How relieving it would be to beat down this old man, he thought.
The Demon Lord was the object of his absolute loyalty. Just hearing the Demon Lord speak to him moved him; so much so that he felt like his heart might stop. Not only had this old man not responded to the Demon Lord’s summons, but he had even gone so far as to treat that summons as a trivial matter. Such an action was inexcusable when done by a high-ranking demon, and Director Shinorom was no such thing; he was a mere normal demon. Ardoe glared at the rude old man, thinking that he should be sentenced to death on the spot for his disrespect.
However, the director in question, Shinorom, did not seem to mind Ardoe’s angry gaze at all and proceeded with his adjustments. His attitude made Ardoe even angrier, but the Supreme Commander took another deep breath and tried to calm himself down.
Director Shinorom was undoubtedly one of the key figures in the Demon Lord Army’s operations. His interests had led him to research and develop various equipment and magic tools, and he had also achieved remarkable results in strengthening monsters. Not only that, but he was also skilled at transformations and was able to blend in with humans in order to carry out the Demon Lord Army’s operations. He was able to do everything from arranging armed uprisings among the lower classes to setting the stage for internal divisions within nations.
This man had been praised by the Demon Lord himself, who proclaimed the Demon Lord Army to be a complete meritocracy and had a policy of results over loyalty, which in a way silently condoned Shinorom’s unbecoming behavior. In addition, he had been granted the title of Director of Monster Soldier Research. With this position came facilities to use at his discretion, ample funds, and even subordinates.
It would be easy to kill him. However, the loss that the Demon Lord Army would suffer from his death would be immeasurable. After repeating this over and over in his mind, Ardoe finally calmed down. It was impossible for him to do something that would be detrimental to the Demon Lord he so greatly respected.
Ardoe decided to make small talk with Shinorom for the time being. “Anyway, did you refer to this figure as ‘Ramon-Hamon’? Could this be the Demonic Deity siblings I sent for the experiment a while ago?”
“That’s correct. Look at this increase in numbers! We’ve finally succeeded in creating a Greater Demonic Deity!” Director Shinorom pointed to the glowing text floating on the stone tablet as he shouted happily.
“I see. Splendid. So, when can they fight on the front lines?”
“It won’t be long. Their MP is still unstable, but that will just take some adjusting. I want to see their battle data as soon as possible!”
There were over a hundred Demonic Deities that belonged to the Demon Lord Army, but there were fewer than ten Greater Demonic Deities. If it was possible to artificially create such a rare Greater Demonic Deity, then this mad scientist, Shinorom, had accomplished yet another incredible feat.
Ardoe had to accept that he needed to put a stop to his murderous intentions.
“Then please tell the Demon Lord about this in your own words. I don’t think anyone other than you can provide a detailed explanation of this matter.”
When Ardoe said this, Director Shinorom agreed, saying, “That’s true.” Then, he ordered his subordinates to make adjustments and record the numbers, and left the laboratory.
Ardoe followed Director Shinorom back the way he had come and into the room with the teleportation device. When they entered, they saw a cube-shaped object floating on the floor where the teleportation magic circle was installed. The teleportation device spoke in an uninflected voice.
“Supreme Commander Ardoe, Director Shinorom. Where are you headed?”
“To the tower of the Demon Lord’s palace.”
“Understood. Please stand inside the magic circle.”
When the two figures entered the magic circle, the lines that drew it emitted a pale purple light.
“Magical power of Supreme Commander Ardoe and Monster Soldier Research Director Shinorom confirmed. Transfer to the Demon Lord’s tower has been permitted. You will now be teleported. Have a safe trip.”
As always, once the overly polite announcement of the teleportation device was over, a curtain of purple light rose from the outer edge of the magic circle. This was the operating process of the teleportation device developed by Director Shinorom, in which equipment with a magic circle at its core performed teleportation magic. As a result, even those who could not use teleportation magic or who simply did not have the MP necessary for it could now teleport without the need to use any MP, though movement was limited to between devices. There was no doubt that the creation of this device had expanded the Demon Lord Army’s range of activities. Ardoe believed that if they could expect further, similar developments from Shinorom, then it was for the best that he not be killed.
By the time the curtain of purple light had risen above Ardoe’s head and returned to the outer edge of the magic circle, he and Director Shinorom were in the tower’s teleportation room. Stepping outside, they walked down a passageway whose walls and floor were pure white. In the direction they were heading, a number of demons moved against the walls to open a path while holding a saluting posture. Demons came in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so the passages were wide and the ceilings were high.
What Ardoe and Director Shinorom were heading toward, however, was an even vaster space. On top of being extremely spacious, its walls, ceiling, and even pillars were pure white, making it hard to see the room’s boundaries when relying solely on vision. It gradually distorted one’s sense of perspective, making it appear larger than it actually was.
Monsters and demons of various shapes and forms were gathered in that white space. They were fierce warriors with Rank S abilities, and each of them was a general who commanded more than ten thousand monsters.
In the center of the room was a huge staircase leading to the Demon Lord’s throne room, where he was waiting. Shinorom, who dared to ascend the stairs that even high-ranking demons did not readily climb, was joined by Supreme Commander Ardoe. The fact that he was a normal demon was the true embodiment of the meritocracy that the Demon Lord had embraced.
In the throne room, Kyubel, who was the Demon Lord Army’s Strategist, and Ardoe’s five fellow Great Demon Gods were already waiting for the two of them. So too was the Demon Lord, the master of this tower. He sat on a high throne and glared at the others, while Kyubel waited at the foot of the throne. There were several steps leading from their position to the floor of the throne room, and fanning out in front of those steps were the seats of the Six Great Demon Gods.
On this day, farther in front of the throne was an altar-like structure and a prostrating, pale-skinned Demonic Deity wearing purple robes. Ardoe, who served as the Supreme Commander of the Demon Lord Army, remembered the appearances and names of its most important figures. As such, he immediately recognized that this Deity was Gushara, the man who had transformed into a human in order to carry out undercover work for one of the Demon Lord’s plans.
“You’re late. I’ve been waiting for you.” The Demon Lord spoke in a calm voice. He did not seem at all angered that he had been kept waiting by Ardoe, who was sent to fetch Shinorom.
“I apologize for my tardiness. I was listening to Director Shinorom’s research results. The Greater Demonic Deity synthesis experiments are showing signs of success.”
Ardoe had omitted that he was late because of Director Shinorom. He believed that what he reported to the Demon Lord should not be based on a personal grudge, such as tattling on anyone, but should instead be information that would prove useful for the Demon Lord and the Demon Lord Army.
“Oh, that’s wonderful. Shinorom, if it’s successful, can we expect mass production?”
“It’s difficult as it is now,” Director Shinorom replied instantly. “There aren’t enough Demonic Deity stones for mass production, and there’s a limit to the Demonic Deity stones produced by the workhorses. In any case, we need a new specimen.”
“I see.”
The Demon Lord did not seem particularly concerned about Shinorom’s frank way of speaking. He gave a silent nod, then looked at Kyubel, who was kneeling at his feet. Kyubel nodded and suddenly stood up.
“Well then, now that everyone is here, I will tell you about the progress of the daemon resurrection plan,” he said.
The purpose of this convocation was to share information about the Demon Lord Army’s goal of resurrecting the daemon that had been sealed away in the distant past. The Demon Lord Army had been secretly preparing for this plan, which they wanted to prioritize over attacking and destroying humanity, and it had entered a new phase.
“We all know that among the conditions for the resurrection of the daemon, preparing the sacrifice and fodder was a challenge. But the preparations are finally complete!”
Among those listening to Kyubel’s remarks, only Gushara remained facing the floor. By being included in the daemon resurrection plan, his position was higher than that of other Demonic Deities, but he was still the lowest ranked among those gathered here.
“The result is that support device over there,” Kyubel said. “Director Shinorom, are the support device activation experiments going well?”
“Of course. We will place the divine vessel in the hollow of this altar and collect human lives,” Shinorom, the creator of the altar, answered.
“The collection target is ten million people, correct?”
“That’s right. Any fewer and we won’t be able to bring out the original power of the sealed daemon god. I spent years of research making these calculations, so there’s no doubt about it.”
When Director Shinorom finished his report with a sigh, the Demon Lord opened his mouth. “So, Gushara. Are you ready to collect the fodder?”
When the Demon King called out to him, Gushara lowered his head even farther, almost hitting his head on the floor as he answered.
“Of course! Our numbers exceed one million, Demon Lord.”
Over the past several decades, he had established and grown a religion called the Church of Gushara in the southeastern continent of Galiat. He had attempted to expand into the Garlesian Continent in the southwest as well, but it had not gone well, as he had drawn the anger of the Beast King of Albahal.
“That’s not nearly enough.” At the Demon Lord’s words, Gushara’s body began to tremble.
“Demon Lord, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ve given Gushara the incarnation element!” Director Shinorom jumped in to explain. “He is forcing his followers to ingest it. When the support device is activated, it takes the lives of the believers and turns them into daemonic incarnations. The element then multiplies in the bodies of its hosts, and when the incarnation attacks a human being, it infects them, so the person being attacked also dies and becomes a daemonic incarnation. They can act as pawns for the cause at the same time. Ten million lives will be no problem.”
“The incarnation element, hmm? I’m surprised you discovered such a thing.” The Demon King shared his impressions in wonder.
“I’d like to say that it was the result of my genius, but I discovered it by accident while researching how to turn humans into demons.”
“Oh?”
“I named it the incarnation element, but what it does is remove all elements relating to one’s species. In doing so, it makes fusion with the elements of other creatures possible.”
“Does that mean the daemonic incarnations you showed me previously were the true form of these living things?”
Shinorom grinned and nodded at the Demon Lord’s words. “Maybe that’s the case, maybe it’s not. There are still many things that aren’t clear about the principles of the God of Creation. Right now, it’s just a hypothesis.”
When Shinorom was done, it was Kyubel’s turn to speak.
“Now that the preparations for collecting fodder are complete, it’s time to move on to the next step! From here on, failure is not an option!”
Kyubel spun around as if dancing, then struck a pose as he snapped. Seeing this, Ardoe felt the anger that he had suppressed well back up.
“Indeed.”
He noticed the anger in his voice and felt Kyubel’s eyes on him.
“Supreme Commander! What’s with that response?! Are you not aware that the plan has at long last entered its final stage?!” Kyubel inquired, his tone slightly mocking.
“Not aware?! Which one of us is not aware?!” Ardoe bellowed, unable to help himself. “You were the one who failed to invade Rohzenheim and forced us to revise our plan!” Before Ardoe could reach the first step of the stairs leading to the throne, Gandira, one of the Six Great Demon Gods, silently grappled him from behind.
“Hrgh?! Gandira! Why do you interfere?!”
Demon Gods stood on either side of a roaring Ardoe and grabbed his arms. It took three of them to hold him down.
“Grrrr! You too, Vildiga?! Release me! I can’t take this anymore!”
The rest of the Demon Gods arrived to calm down the rampaging Ardoe, and the area in front of the stairs leading to the throne became quite a commotion. The Demon Lord observed quietly, Kyubel looked amused, Director Shinorom appeared disinterested, and Gushara watched in dismay.
Eventually, perhaps seeing that Ardoe’s excitement could not be contained, the Demon Lord opened his mouth.
“Ardoe, I appreciate your loyalty, but I don’t want you to be so furious and enraged all the time.”
Even Ardoe, as expected, could not help but calm down at those words.
“I-I’m sorry. Demon Lord.”
“Goodness. It’s no good to be so hotheaded,” Kyubel said teasingly.
“Kyubel, refrain from trying to push Ardoe’s buttons,” the Demon Lord continued in a chiding manner. “He has a point.”
The initial plan was to attract the attention of the gods by carrying out a large-scale invasion of the Mortal Realm the likes of which had never been seen. This would make it easier not only to invade the Heavenly Realm and seize divine vessels, but also for the Church of Gushara to gather more believers.
The Church of Gushara had attracted many people with the promise that becoming a believer would protect them from the Demon Lord Army thanks to the power of the founder, Gushara. If an invasion on an unprecedented scale had then been carried out in a way that allowed only the believers of the Church of Gushara to be spared, many of the frightened humans would try to join the faith as well. In particular, it had been thought that if Rohzenheim, which, like the Empire of Baukis, had shown strong resistance from outside the Central Continent, were attacked and destroyed, it would have a great impact on the inhabitants of the Galiatan Continent to the south. Moreover, they had calculated that even wiping out nearly twenty million elves would not be enough to make God of Creation Elmea reset the current world.
Due to the appearance of Allen and his friends, however, they had been unable to attack and destroy Rohzenheim. Although they had been able to steal a divine vessel, a different plan had been needed to acquire the necessary fodder and gather them into the divine vessel.
“It’s true that Allen did ruin my plans. That’s my bad. I need to reflect upon my actions and be wary from now on.” Kyubel showed no remorse but implied that Allen was undoubtedly an obstacle to their plans.
“Indeed you do,” the Demon Lord responded. “However, Helmios and the golem-piloting dwarves are also a nuisance. Therefore, while we’re gathering on the Galiatan Continent, we shall simultaneously invade the Central Continent and the Empire of Baukis. The humans won’t let their guards down, but if those two continents are attacked at the same time, they won’t be able to touch Galiat.”
“In that case, I’ll be off to the Central Conti—”
Just as Kyubel began to speak, Ardoe interrupted him.
“Wait! I will also take command of the Central Continent. I can’t leave it to you after you so recently failed.”
“I see. Okay, then I’ll be supporting Gushara,” Kyubel replied with a chuckle, and Ardoe realized that he had again been tricked.
“Y-You... That was your plan from the start.”
However, as if sensing Ardoe’s anger, the Demon Lord immediately interjected.
“It’s decided. I’ll leave the invasion of the Central Continent and the Empire of Baukis to Ardoe. Kyubel will head to Galiat and oversee the final stage of the plan. And refrain from any further quarrels going forward. Understood?”
“Yes, my lord!”
“Yes, my lord.”
After the Strategist and the Supreme Commander, the two highest-ranking commanders of the Demon Lord Army, responded, the Demon Lord shifted his gaze to Director Shinorom.
“Shinorom. Is the monsters’ blood inheritance progressing? Once the fodder is ready, the next thing that is needed is the sacrifice.”
