'When..... when did I get like this?'
On hearing her own words, a single worry plagued the mind of Claire.
'I.... don't even know who is speaking anymore..... me or her. Aren't we.... just the same person anyways?'
'Ah ah..... they're not gonna fight to the death? That's kinda boring. I wanted to see some heads get ripped off.'
As Claire was overcome by worry, she heard that corrupted voice speak things which the angelic girl would never consider thinking.
Or would she?
She didn't know.
Had she already?
'Oi!! How can you say something like that, Clarice? Even if they're our enemies....'
'Even if they're our enemies what?'
'Er..... well.....'
The angelic figure furrowed her brow, unable to come up with a response.
'Don't forget, my other self. You now have blood on your hands. And not just the blood of one. The blood of many.'
The crackling voice dug away at the girl's emotions, causing her eyes to twitch with madness.
'So what's a few more?'
'Ah.....'
Calming herself, the girl smiled.
'I almost forgot.'
Closing her eyes, she began to tap the armrest of the throne which she sat upon.
'I am evil itself.'
Opening her eyes, they were now tainted red.
The sclera of the girl had turned black, however the rest of her body remained within her angelic form.
'I understand, Clarice. Those demons..... are small fry. They believe they have the power to retain their positions as the rulers of demons, yet they fail to realize..... that my rule has already been set in stone from the day I came into this world.'
The girl laughed to herself.
'Come, villains. We'll show you that you cannot fight evil with a lesser evil.'
----
"Ah, there's something I just thought of. Before we start this first battle, could you all hear out my idea?"
Garett called out to the four on the opposing side while also addressing those on his own side.
Still carrying Ashley on his back, he stepped forward and the eyes of those around him focused on the crimson demon.
"We have discussed the conditions of winning and losing, however I think we should also add in an option to fold. How about this. At any time between rounds, you're allowed to pack up your things and leave."
Those on the opposing team were surprised at the sudden proposal, however Samantha and Trevor did not appear surprised in the least.
Instead, Trevor placed his hand to his chin and began to pace back and forth while thinking.
"Doing so would allow for a scenario where this competition is no longer an all or nothing gamble which will run until one side loses. Rather, there will be the option for someone to call the game if they fall too far behind, thus allowing for a sort of truce before all has been lost. I see. So? What do you propose the conditions to be then?", he asked.
"Simple. Whoever folds loses the right to take the position of demon lord, but they keep the right to rule over their respective territory. Furthermore, any slaves which are bet and exchanged throughout the course of the competition will permanently fall with whichever side they are on at the time of the fold."
As Garett explained this, Huberos squinted with distrust.
"If I were to pull ahead, you all could simply pull out. I would be left with the title of demon lord..... yet I would be forced to leave you alone with your territory? Hmmmm..... on the other hand....."
Thoughts of the city of Regalis flowed into the mind of Huberos.
He had ruled his city as the Host of Pride for over a hundred years now.
'Even so.....'
Huberos bit his lip.
He had finally been given the opportunity to obtain the position of demon lord. Accepting this however would mean he could only ever become a partial demon lord who rules but a single city.
"Do you care about your people? Or do you care about your ambitions?"
The female voice from behind Huberos filled his ears, causing them to twitch.
It was Tera.
"I..... will not back down from any challenge. I will become the demon lord of this realm..... and I will overtake this realm and it's people."
Huberos whispered this statement to himself.
"I will show them..... I will show them all.... that I am not inferior.... that they are not above me.... that there are none who can look down upon me.... I will.... humble them all...."
"You don't really mean that."
Stepping forth, the girl who was a self declared weed took the stage.
"We agree to your condition."
"Excuse me? I never said any such-"
"We agree. To. Your. Condition."
The girl was not about to argue with Huberos.
Despite his position as the Host of Pride, despite his own ambition which she was throwing to the side, she spoke for him.
Huberos had every right to berate this foolish slave who stood above her place, speaking for the one who owned her.
And yet.....
"Who do you think you are, speaking for Lord Huberos?"
"I was willing to respect your position as one he favored, but this is too much."
Stepping forward from the crowds behind the four were two demons.
One was pure white with black claws and features. The other was pitch black with white features, an inverse of the other girl.
Both were in the uniforms of maids, and both were filled with irritation.
"Lord Huberos. Allow us to punish this fool. She is no longer fit to serve as your General."
The elven figure merely watched as this occurred, grinning to himself as he thinned his eyes.
He was not the only one however.
All four of them.
All four of the antiheroes grinned, thinning their eyes as they watched the scenario play out.
They were amused.
They were amused with the disruption of power within the ranks of their opponents, and they merely watched as it happened without speaking a word.
Tera however, quickly spoke without so much as turning her back to the two maids who accused her.
"Punish me? Why don't we hear from the man himself then. Lord Huberos. What are your orders? Am I to be punished for speaking in your place?"
Put on the spot, Huberos looked around.
The eyes of all were on him.
Once more, the eyes of everyone were focused on him.
He had to do something to change those eyes from their mocking stance.
'You cannot even control a single slave?'
'You are not fit to become the lord of demons.'
'Pathetic.'
'Unsightly.'
'Disgusting.'
Voices entered the mind of Huberos as he began to shiver.
'I..... must berate her.'
'I cannot allow her to humiliate me like this....'
'My position.... my pride.... my status.... my.....'
It was then though, that Huberos looked into the eyes of the girl.
She had turned back to him, and was staring right at him.
Awaiting his word.
The two maids stood on either side of the girl, posed to attack.
Gormand and Apathia didn't seem interested in the conflict in the least. Rather, they were ready for it to boil over so that they could start things.
'I will..... at least retain this much.'
Huberos came to a decision.
He would go against everything he felt.
He would order for this slave to be punished.
For this was his duty as a ruler.
Slaves served their master.
That was how it had to be.
If Huberos were to allow for an exception such as this, then how many other slaves would be encouraged to rise up against him?
He held the power.
He held the control.
However, if he did not use it, then wasn't he the slave?
"Chiora.... Selna..... I order you to....."
Biting his lips, Huberos could not get the words out.
He could not say it.
'Punish her.'
'Punish her.'
'PUNISH HER!!'
He repeated the phrase over and over within his mind, yet the words refused to exit his mouth.
Grabbing the side of his head, Huberos dug his claws into his flesh, drawing blood and disrupting his perfectly styled hair.
"Stand down."
He said it.
He said it.
No, he didn't say it.
Words came out, but they were not the words which he intended to state.
'Why?'
'Why did I tell them to stand down?'
As soon as the words exited the mouth of Huberos, the two looked at their master with surprise, immediately falling back into their ranking.
"Forgive us, Lord Huberos...."
"We simply could not stand seeing her take advantage of you like that.... so we...."
"Enough. Your punishment will come later."
The two maids were filled with shock and worry as Huberos let these words slip from his mouth, unable to even respond as their master one sidedly decided to punish them instead of the girl who spoke in his place.
Pulling his hand out of his head, purple blood sprayed onto the ground to the side of Huberos.
Stepping forth, Huberos placed his unbloodied hand on the head of the girl.
"You truly do understand your position, don't you?"
"Better than you do."
Looking up with a chuckle, Huberos wiped the blood away from his head with his hand.
"Very well, antiheroes. I accept your condition."
'I can still win something from them.'
'I can still find a way to defeat them.'
'I can still obtain the title of demon lord, even if I am only the Lord of a single city.'
"You finished with your little lovers quarrel? I'm getting hungrier by the minute.", Gormand stated.
"Yes, and I'm sick of hearing all this. Could you all just hurry up and get to the fighting or something?", Apathia added.
With veins popping from his head, Huberos turned to the two.
"Ah, I see that you two are quite impatient. Forgive me for taking so long. I apologize for the sudden disturbance, antiheroes. We will accept your conditions. Therefore.... let us get straight to the competition."
Huberos could feel it once more.
Everyone around him was mocking him.
Looking down upon him.
Yet, he could not ignore the woman who stood beside him.
He could not throw her aside.
He could not order her punishment.
He could not do anything against her.
'Why.... could I not have said those words?'
It was then that the elven figure stood forward, taking control of the conversation.
"Ahem..... well, that was certainly amusing. Since things have been cleared up now, I suppose it's time we begin."
----
"Why did you do that? Now look at me. The antiheroes have perfect control over their slaves, and here I am- the laughing stock of the competition. All because you had to go and open your mouth."
Huberos pulled Tera aside and began complaining to her in private, however the girl merely smiled kindly.
"You don't want your people to become enslaved. More than your ambitions, more than your desires, that's what you really want. I merely assisted you in realizing that."
"Don't change the subject. I was talking about how I look like your dog now."
"Is that how it looks?"
Placing her hand on the side of Huberos' face, the self declared weed wiped off a drop of blood.
"If that's how it looks, then all you have to do is prove that isn't the case. Right?"
Huberos was surprised at how calmly the woman took things, yet he couldn't find himself remaining angry with her.
She was beautiful.
Not just her appearance, but her person.
He saw in her something which he had never seen in another.
'Perhaps if she were present at that time....'
Letting out a sigh, Huberos nodded with a grin.
"Very well. We will prove to all that I am worthy of my title. I am the Host of Pride. And I will not back down from this challenge. I will force them into yielding."
"That's more like it."
And thus, the stage was set.
The antiheroes now stood ready before an army of over 600, prepared to take them on without assistance.
The wager- 36 slaves of 600 maximum.
'Even if I lose some, I can rebound. I don't need to beat them in every battle, but there is one thing which I absolutely must do here.'
Preparing himself, Huberos slicked back his hair which had been messed up in the chaos.
'I absolutely must prove that I am better than them.'
----
[Are both sides ready to begin?]
The voice of the Determined resounded in the minds of the people, to which both sides nodded, confirming their readiness.
[Then.... start.]
And thus, an all out battle between the incarnations of sin and the rulers of evil began.
----
As soon as the word start was uttered from the mouth of the Determined, each and every person on the battlefield rushed forth in a charge, heading towards the antiheroes.
Yet in a moment, they all found themselves constricted.
[Barrier]
"Wha-"
"How...."
"What is this?"
A yellow glassy substance had been wrapped around each and every person, tying them to their current positions.
Samantha stood with her hands forth, pointing all around as if she was orchestrating a symphony.
Huberos grinned as he begun to exert magical energy.
"So she uses barrier techniques, eh? However, a barrier is something which is strengthened with magical energy. If I attack it with my own energy, then she will need to continuously pour her own energy in order to keep the barrier up. Therefore, I will overload it and run her dry of mana."
Huberos began to glow as light was emitted from the demon.
The light overtook the arena, forcing many to shield their eyes.
However, Huberos did not feel the constraints weaken.
'What? It's not weakening? How much mana does she have?'
It was then that Huberos ceased his attempt, for fear of running his own reserves dry.
The light which had overtaken the area disappeared, and it was then that he saw it.
She was grinning.
Holding a finger to her lip, the woman mouthed some words which caused a number of veins to bulge in the mind of Huberos.
'I won't ever run out of mana. Game over.'
'Tch.....'
[Consume Bonding]
It was then that a shattering sound filled the ears of all within the arena.
The eyes of the succubus widened, and she looked around in surprise as she noticed that each and every barrier within the arena had been destroyed.
Stepping forth now was the blue dragonic demon who carried the magenta female in his arm.
"If you thought that having infinite mana would allow you to keep those barriers up, you'd be wrong. Barriers are kept together through bonds, which energy must be poured into to keep them in tact. However, what if those bonds simply ceased to exist?"
The dragon laughed heartily, approaching the three with hundreds of dragonic demons behind him.
"You underestimated us, antiheroes."
"The ability to consume the physical and chemical properties of matter. It is certainly an intriguing ability, with many uses, appropriate for the Host of Gluttony. However, to say I underestimated you.... would be wrong."
The elven figure replied with overconfidence as he drew his bow from his back.
"Do not think we would put all our chips on a single bet. The number of ways that we could defeat you are as infinite as the vastness of the universe. Yet there is only one path in which this universe could take. And I have already ensured that such a path is one in which we are victorious."
[Humble]
It was as Trevor made this statement, with hundreds of people approaching him, that Huberos realized.
This was his ticket to victory.
The elven figure had declared that he had ensured their victory.
He had claimed that through his efforts alone, the antiheroes would emerge victorious.
'To take he who has exalted himself..... and invert such arrogance. That is what it means to be the Host of Pride.'
With a grin, Huberos watched as a black substance wrapped itself around Trevor.
"It would appear that I've let something foolish slip. Unfortunately, I don't believe I will be able to take credit for this victory any longer."
Samantha watched in horror as Trevor was engulfed by the substance, which wrapped around him to form what looked like a round container, sealing Trevor within.
"W-wait.... this..... this wasn't in the plan you told me, Theo...."
Garett too turned to see Trevor being sealed, his eyes going wide with confusion.
"Oi, what the hell are you doing?"
Placing his hand on the container, Garett attempted to use his ability.
[Complete Elimination]
[Error. Seals cannot be eliminated, as they are not an entity but a constraint]
As Garett read this, he went limp with shock.
Dropping the spiritual girl who clung to his back, she fell to the ground and laid there, lifeless.
Garett and Samantha were now left alone with Trevor sealed, surrounded by enemies.
"Oi oi..... this wasn't how it was supposed to go....."
Reaching for his inventory, Garett grabbed a metal club.
"Tch. Fine then. You all want to fight? Bring it on."
----
'And now, I have been sealed. Excellent. If my calculations are correct, then things are going exactly according to plan.'
Trevor was currently within a dark space without a body, unable to speak or communicate, though he had the power of thought.
'So Garett? Will you rise up and obtain your title, defeating those around us? Or perhaps not? Perhaps instead you will lose to madness, and we will be defeated. However.... I do truly wonder.'
From within the realm of darkness, Trevor could feel as if he was grinning to himself, even without a body.
'We were the only ones who made such pacts regarding the [Humble] skill which Huberos possessed, therefore she is not bound by their rules. She exists.... outside the rule.'
Trevor laughed to himself, chuckling with madness.
'Hahaha..... heh heh.... hahaha!!!'
'Just how will the Determined react to all of this? Show me, woman. Prove to me that you are worthy of the title of Queen.'