This town is hot.
There's a shocking lack of any clues.
Those two truths are slowly burning up my thought process.
It's been a week since I started investigating Grey Rock, and with nothing being found, only the time had passed by.
The feeling of impatience. But still, there hasn't been anny information of those five angels being sighted in any other land.
Did they return to heaven?
The possibility exists. There's definitely the chance they were conducting brief recon.
In that case, that means we've been working for nothing.
I mean, the Rank Four Demon Lord is waiting on his throne with all preparations to take them down. No one normal would attack the same spot twice.
But Angels are nothing normal. The Iustitia they carry is just as sinful as the cravings carried by a Demon.
Today as well, there was only one other besides us in the café.
In my usual seat on the usual terrace, I wiped the sweat off my forehead, as I downed the lime-colored water in the tumbled glass in a single swig.
Before my eyes was Zeta, who was weaker than me, and thus more haggard.
"Ki ki ki, how interesting. For there to be absolutely nothing after all that…"
"It's as if there's not a single trace… it seems. Not even a speck of destruction…"
As expected of a former garrison.
It's not like it was put to much use, and the structure here are overly durable, with barrier magic stretching over everything without a single crack.
I did check out the plaza where the battle supposedly took place, but there were barely any traces of a fight having taken place.
With this, I can't even begin to imagine the Angels' attributes.
But it's not like our harvest was nil. I did figure something out.
"They can only use attacks to an extent not strong enough to break the barrier. As I thought, their abilities aren't all that high. If you include affinity into the calculations, they're Knight Class at best."
"And you're saying that just five Knights were able to take on a hundred Demons?"
Zeta's tone indicated he couldn't believe it as he looked to me with doubt.
"It's not an impossible talk. An Angel's power weakens a Demon's… well, fighting in the Demon World gives some enhancements, so in the end, it comes down to personal ability, but…"
Vanity himself aside, his army's nothing famous. So his troops simply being weak is also a possibility.
I mean, even if he may stand out himself, it's not like an army's competence is directly proportional to their Lord's strength.
Well, still, whatever the case, the truth is uncertain.
I asked around. I personally checked out the battle site.
… There's no helping it. There's no use in wasting any more time.
… Should I just steal it?
A feverish dizziness shook my emotions as if my brain were being fried.
I'm a bit reluctant to do anything too rough in the Egoist's territory, but… this world's survival of the fittest, after all.
"… Ki ki ki, Zeta. There's no helping it… do ya' remember the faces of the witnesses?"
"… Are you serious? We're within the territory of allied troops, you know…"
"Hey, if you put it like that, we won't be getting' anywhere. It's adaptation. Change to fit the situation. Also… right, Zeta?"
Spending a week investigating on this land is taking this young Demon's stress to its breaking point.
But in his current expression, I can barely see any fatigue.
I bent my lips into a smile, and pointed it out to my oblivious junior.
"… You're smiling at the idea, you know?"
"… Kufu… well, if you put it like that, I guess there really is no helping it. "
Putting it in a way that made it seem he didn't care either way, my faithful junior laughed.
While I say faithful, his faith lied not to me, but to his own desire, the cravings he harbored.
A trait that indicated a Demon of the highest caliber. It sure is fun, looking after guys with talent at the job…
Zeta leisurely stood, and his expression had lost all traces of tiredness.
His ashen eyes letting off a strong light were the only things shining under the crimson blazing sun.
Despite the fact that all he did was stand up, it seemed as if his slim figure had suddenly expanded for an instant.
A display of power. He let out a deep breath, gave off a repulsive feral expression, and in contrast to all of that, he began shispering in a calm voice.
"『Greed Hand』."
Avaritia Skills are based on a desire to take.
Looking back over others, and mocking, and shaming, and taking all of creation to your heart's desire. Its true nature lay in causing loss to others.
Ki ki ki.
Take it all.
The fact that there's something to be gained. The fact that someone has something to lose.
More oppressing than Invidia, more crafty than Gula.
Even though I have yet to become a Demon Lord, there's a reason I've been able to live over ten thousand years of life.
The strong do not foresee their losses.
They'll only notice after they've lost it.
The dreadfulness of Greed.
Zeta Adler, the Greed Demon arms let off a faint black luminescence.
An Avaritia Skill, 『Greed Hand』.
Its power wasn't on the level of the 『Wave of Starvation』 possessed by gluttony, but it was much more atrocious.
Ki ki ki, but it's all fine. It doesn't take lives of anything. It at least leaves those behind.
"Zeta, finish up quickly. Ki ki ki, Before we even meet the Angels, I'd hate it to have to go up against fellow Demons. That would be a bit much."
The sword Celeste I received from Boss Leigie was definitely a fiendish and unrivalled Demon Blade, but I'd still be at a disadvantage when the enemy's at Demon Lord Class. I don't think the Lord'll pop up after we just steal a bit, but I don't know Vanity's nature. It would be best to remain cautious.
"I… I know that."
Understanding that, Zeta nodded lightly, as he began searching for his target.
This town was narrow, and its population wasn't high, but as it was the middle of the day, the streets were being put to good use.
Despite the Angels coming out, they were quite calm.
Demons were the dominant race of the Demon World. We barely had any enemies.
That's why the lower one's class is as a Demon, the more they begin to take needless pride in the powers they were born with.
Zeta approached a single passer-by, who seemed to simply be taking a leisurely stroll. Age-wise, he didn't seem much different from the boy. A Young Demon.
But He was much too lacking in vigilance. Form my long life spent mostly in military service, I could see it clearly. From his attire, his gestures and all else, he was too taken in by his peaceful surroundings I was even surprised he managed to survive this far in the constantly-warring Demon World.
Even when Zeta approached, he merely made a bit of a doubtful face, and he didn't seem to be putting up his guard at all. Perhaps it has something to do with Zeta's height being lower than his own. I mean, he looked delicate enough, that it didn't seem his hands could bring harm to other.
After the two of them were finally within arm's reach of one another, the young male Demon finally raised his voice.
"W-what are…!?"
"Kufu."
The young man's movements ceased. While his eyes were fixed on a point directly in front of him, it didn't look like anything was entering them.
Zeta's bone-thin fingertips were rested on his forehead. His casually extended arm put an ent to it all to quick.
The man's head wasn't pierced or anything. It was merely touched. It was done delicately, so not the slightest of wounds was left.
Zeta let his mouth curve into a complacent crescent smile as he withdrew his hands. It was a matter of several seconds.
Besides the ones directly involved, there weren't any witnesses. Or perhaps though people witnessed it, they pretend not to. It's survival of the fittest. The meaning of that should be clear.
Zeta's longing was memory.
Just as I desired, of all time and place, of all nature and creation, materials treasure, he was an Avaritia Demon who longed for others' experiences, and memories.
Inevitably, the nature of his Skills developed towards an ability to steal them.
I don't get what's so fun about any of that, but I doubt I'll ever be able to understand another's longings. Just do what you will.
If it affords me some merit, then all the more.
"… It's finished… kufu…"
His peculiar laugh seemed to be filled with good humor somewhere.
Perhaps it's because he stole something directly related to his objective.
The Skill 『Greed Hand』.
It's merely a Skill that snatches up the target of one's desire.
In my case, it's loot, in his, experiences. It instils one's hands with malicious power to take from others, and among Avaritia Skills, it's known to be the one with the most frequent of use. And at the same time, based on one's wishes, it can become the strongest Skill of all.
Like how a General Class like me can only steal items, this Knight Class in front of me can do things much more malicious.
With his field of vision taken by ecstasy, he whispered to me with a drunken expression.
his eyes seemed directed ahead, yet he wasn't looking at anything.
"I see, so this is… an angel… my natural enemy."
"Ki ki ki, so you struck the jackpot on the first try? I doubt you even checked to see if he was a witness, did you."
"You're not wrong… but it worked out, so there isn't a problem."
Well yeah. For you, that is.
I'll allow it. I'll give you that much.
But in order for one to be able to continue pursuing their desires to eternity, there's a line that shouldn't be crossed.
I met his eyes, which appeared to gaze at some distant country, with a strong look of my own.
"You made sure to keep it to a minimum, right?"
"… Of course. Just as you taught me, Deije-san… he'll be able to move again soon enough."
And as if he had been waiting for those very words, the frozen youth began to stir.
With a bewitched expression, he looked over his surroundings for a while, but after a while, he started walking as before. His footsteps were firm, and I couldn't think of him as a recent victim of theft.
There wasn't a scrap of evidence left behind.
A question or two may pop up from an aberration in his memories of his daily life, but that's all. That's all the memory is. The longer you live, the less your life actually leaves a mark on your memories.
Perhaps even my memory's been stanched out before. Ki ki ki, it's a repulsing thought.
From his half-asleep state, Zeta slowly returned to reality. Like that, he lowered himself into his seat again, and began his report.
"I was able to take them up quite easily, but… it doesn't appear there's any new information to be found."
"… I see."
I didn't think he would be able to get anything new on the first try anyways.
In the first place, we spent an entire week here with no results. Otherwise, we wouldn't think it such a fortune to actually find something out.
Life is average. If there are rises, there are also falls, but it levels out.
"It appears what we've collected so far is true, at lease. Five angels, yes, there were definitely five angels donning heavenly wings here. Their means of entrance was the sky. They attacked the town, were intercepted by Vanity's troops stationed here, and the rest is history. That's the extent of what the master of these memories saw."
"… I see. So, where did these all-important Angels head off to next?"
"Who can say… It's clear they made an escape through the sky, but he didn't see the direction…"
It just isn't going to go our way.
Well, I guess just confirming our information had some merit in itself.
Ki ki ki, I mean, that was just the first try.
Also, seeing is believing, and at the information gathering stage, the worth of obtaining the memories of those that actually witnessed it is unfathomable.
"What were the Angels' means of attack?"
On my query, Zeta started to blink.
He tilted his head for a while, before slowly letting the words flow out. Usurping memories and making them his own meant that he was pursuing the experience itself.
His tone was filled with fear, as if he was talking about a disaster that transpired before his own eyes.
"Light… right, pillars of light. A few meters in diameter, giant pillars of light from the sky… the town burned, and the Demons were mowed down."
"An Angel's Iustitia Skill… I guess. Yes, I'm sure there was something like that."
Just as Demons possessed Seven attributes, Angels also had a few classifications.
Iustitia was of those.
Anyways, I'm sure it was an attribute that specialized in offense.
I caught a glimpse of it ten thousand years ago, as a wave of their light cleared away the darkness of the Demon World, said to be unsurmountable.
A large-scale Angel attack… Having only Knight Class and below, Vanity's army was at a great disadvantage there.
Rather than the platoon being weak, perhaps they were simply unlucky…?
"… How many wings on them?"
"… Eh?"
"The wings, you know. Wings. They're the symbol of an Angel. You can determine an Angel's power by their number of wings."
To those that have ever tried to oppose the heavens, it's something like common sense.
And their wings were those guys' pride, so they never try to hide them.
"… I see. Then it's one. No, perhaps I should say one pair."
So only a single pair of wings.
They're that great a force. Perhaps from low to intermediate level. If I were to equate them to a Demon's ranking system, there's a high probability they're at Zeta's level, or below. Well, Demons have a naturally bad affinity with Angels, so Zeta alone would have it rough…
With Celeste, they'd be easy prey. No, even without it, I think I'd make it through.
Even if they burned the place with pillars of light, there wasn't a single sign of it in town.
In the end, their output isn't enough to breach the barrier…
Next, there's the possibility they have a larger force in wait…
But nothing's going to come of thinking about it that far.
There's no such thing as a safe battle. I'll at least drink down the basic risks.
Of all else, even if they sent down an Angel or two, there's still that monster Valkyrie roaming around.
This must be the turning point of the era. Thinking of the future, it's not a bad thing to build up some anti-Angel fighting experience here.
Perhaps still looking over his gained memories, Zeta still had an absentminded expression as his eyes traced thin air. I issued some orders.
"Oy, Zeta. It's time for some usurping. For now, we need a stronger trail. Since we're already at it, why not just take all the memories you can?"