Inflation.
Currency expansion (Inflation). The phenomenon in which currency becomes so plentiful that its value decreases.
* * *
Balloons rose simultaneously in major central areas, including the imperial capital, the center of the empire.
The large balloons rose into the sky at one o'clock in the morning and soon burst due to the difference in air pressure or other external factors.
The contents of the balloons rained down to the ground.
It was 'money' such as banknotes, gold coins, etc.
As a result of the huge amount of money being released into the imperial capital, citizens became distrustful of money.
"Banknotes? I won't take them, I'd rather barter."
"How do I know if these gold coins are real or fake? I can't take deposits for a while."
"Oops, I thought I was going to get rich, but this isn't what I expected."
"I guess we'll have to use the bills for firewood and the gold coins for weights."
"Isn't this going to ruin the country?"
There was food hoarding, and no one wanted to trade their necessities for money.
And there were two pairs of eyes watching this massive mess.
" ...The Director of the Money Manufacturing Bureau is allowed to do this?"
Cindiwendy, a beautiful golden-haired woman. Where she sends her curious gaze, a middle-aged man with brown hair stands.
Bourgeois J Demian. He is the director of the Imperial Money Manufacturing Bureau.
The two of them stand atop a tall tower, watching the money scatter across the empire.
A staggering amount of counterfeit money. The naked eye could never determine their authenticity.
It was a work that Director Damian put a lot of effort into creating.
In charge of distributing and dispersing the counterfeit currency throughout the empire was Cindiwendy, the master of logistics.
Demian said in a low voice.
"If you're going to dig a grave, you have to dig two. For my brother's, and mine."
"Good posture. I guess you've been sharpening your knife for a long time?"
"It's been a long time since I harbored a desire for revenge against my family. I never thought I could achieve that with someone else's hands."
"... I can sympathize with you, as I've been in a similar situation."
Cindiwendy and Demian. Both have someone they want to avenge, so they teamed up with Night Hound.
"We're both aligned with scary men."
The two had a pretty similar opinion.
Whoosh,Cririringgg!
A shower of gold coins falling in the distance, a wind of billowing bills.
Demian furrowed his brow as he caught the rain of falling gold coins.
"Counterfeit gold coins look just like the real thing, but because they're cast in fake metal, they're much lighter in weight, so it doesn't hurt as much when they fall from a great height. You can tell the difference by holding it in your hand, though it can be hard to tell if it's mixed in with the real thing."
"But what about bills? They're lighter, and they look the same."
"Both counterfeit bills and counterfeit gold coins are dyed with magic dyes, so they'll lose their color in a couple of hours. I don't want to prolong the confusion on the waterfront."
Demian is right.
The counterfeit currency distributed throughout the Imperial Capital automatically becomes trash after two hours.
But for at least those two hours, the Empire's prices will be in shambles.
The distrust of fiat currency will cause the citizens of the Empire to care about real things, not money, and naturally the greed and craving for "money" itself will fade.
Cindiwendy asked.
"But. What's the point of reducing the value of money to near zero for only two hours?"
"Two hours. That's enough time to decide the fate of an entire world. Of course, it would be too much for criminals like us."
Demian set his jaw. Then, in a low voice, he answered.
" ...For some non-criminal(Extraordinary person) who may be fighting for his life at this very moment."
* * *
Belial was stunned.
[No, no way, why is my recovery getting slower and slower!!!]
No matter how much money I suck, I can't recover my health.
Money. Human greed. The value attached to it.
Something must have gone wrong in this cycle.
[How could humans not want money? Their greed knows no bounds! How come...!]
Belial looked confused.
It made sense, since there was nothing money couldn't do.
But.
"Gold is not omnipotent."
Vikir said, taking a step forward.
The words 'for at least two hours' were omitted.
It was only a matter of time before the vault would be opened.
In the meantime, the countless gold and silver treasures in the vault will continue to lose value.
'With the entire empire distrustful of money, the world has become an age of barter.'
So all this money is worthless.
Of course, it was only a short affair, but it had great meaning for Vikir.
…Flash!
The Eight Teeth of Vikir, strengthened by divine power, viciously raged all over Belial's body.
Dolores was constantly sending buffs to Vikir's back.
"Lunianus homo omnium dominus est liberrismus, nulli subiectus, a free master over all things! A Lunian is an entirely faithful servant of all things and enslaved to all. (Lunianus homo omnium servus est offciosissimus, omnibus subiectus)!"
The souls of two men who have led very different lives resonate.
Vikir generously unleashes the power of the Swordmaster.
Baskerville Eight. The high-speed spinning aura of an intermediate Swordmaster slices and dices everything it touches.
Iron Body. The spirit of a superhuman.
A body trained to the extreme, loaded like a taut bowstring.
Muscle fibers throughout his body twitch like thorns, ready to tear through his skin.
His pupils sharpened as he searched for the perfect point to deliver the final blow.
A sharp and heavy weapon aimed straight ahead is shot forward, supported by only one big toe.
And then a slash that threatens to tear the world apart!
Quack, quack, quack, quack, quack!
Belial cried out as he was swept up in the aura storm, his entire body shredded and shattered.
And then.
Vikir stood haphazardly before Belial.
The body of his host, Bartolomeo, was already a wreck, and the body of Belial, who had appeared on top of him, also looked miserable.
One of its thick horns is broken, and the other is filled with cracks.
Black blood gushed from every inch of the disgustingly fat pig's head.
"Cut its neck long."
Once Vikir had the upper hand, he never let go.
The demon hunter's teeth sank relentlessly into the demon's neck.
A hound bites a pig to death; it was a natural sight.
... but.
[Gahahahahahaha!]
Belial let out a last-minute laugh.
Vikir narrowed his eyes as his big pig nose twitched.
"What's so funny?"
[Because I look forward to seeing your expressions soon distorted horribly.]
After speaking, Belial's mouth dropped open.
Black smoke began to billow from his mouth.
Decarabia on Vikir's chest spoke in a low voice.
[That is his last ability, 'Oppression'].
"What kind of ability is that?"
[....]
Decarabia hesitated for a moment, then told him the truth.
[It's the ability to make those who kill you pay the price you deserve].
[That's right, those who kill me will die!]
Belial agreed.
He rolled his lard-glazed eyes, glancing alternately at Vikir and Dolores.
[Whoever killed me will die, and I will take him with me. The other one will be very sad, for you have lost a comrade].
"...."
[Hahahahaha! Whoever killed me will pay for it!]
Then Dolores said sourly.
"Why is it a sin to kill a demon? If it is a sin, then I will kill you and pay for it."
[Cough cough- doesn't the doctrine of the Lun say that demons are also creatures of the Lun, and that all killing of creatures is a sin, are you sure about that?]
Belial's pig nose twitches.
Slight confusion flashed across Dolores's face.
Just then.
"Don't play with the demon's tongue."
Vikir's sword sliced through Belial's throat in an instant.
…Poof!
Black blood gushed out like a fountain.
Belial rolled his eyes in disbelief.
[Eh, how can you not move an inch, I, my tongue... this, this, this, aren't you afraid of sin...?]
But Vikir didn't mind at all.
And then.
…Thud!
Something was stuck to Belial's forehead.
A piece of paper stained with black blood.
Belial's face twisted in despair as he realized its identity.
'All sins of this faithful church member are forgiven.'
– This indulgence was issued and endorsed by the Old Testament, and counterfeiting it was punishable by death.
㊞
For a moment, a scene from the past flashed before Belial's eyes.
A memory of one of countless descendants.
'If I can repent for sins committed in the past, can I repent for sins committed in the future?'
'..., but what kind of sin is so serious that you're looking for such an expensive indulgence?'
'I think I'm going to kill one of my neighbor's pigs.'
'That's right. I'll give it to you because you're lucky to have gotten this far for the life of one pig.'
Bang-
'Yes, you have repented~'
It was an indulgence that Vikir had purchased at the temple of the Old Testament in the past, and the price was only one gold.
[...Ah, no].
Belial. The great demon who descended to destroy mankind.
The life of an absolute being who monopolized all the wealth of the human world, was replaced by an indulgence worth a single gold coin.
"It's over. You 'Worthless One.'"
Vikir said briefly.
And the magic sword Beelzebub drew an even shorter trajectory.
…Thud!
It was the moment when the 6th Demon King's head fell.