『.....Why is that here?』
Just before Elric's shadow swallows the statue.
Mephisto had a stiff expression on his face.
The shape of the statue was very familiar to him.
And...
[Azazel.]
Mephisto had to turn to Elric with eyes widened in surprise at the sudden words.
[Correct?]
『...How did you know that?』
[I looked it up, of course. Azazel of 'Insanire.' Isn't that right?]
While Elric was deeply focused on the first arrangement left by Otto Han, he wasn't just devoted to capturing the Snow Mountain King.
He also looked through numerous books left in the safe house.
It was to learn the family's magic, to fill in the gaps in his knowledge, and to find information related to Mephisto.
And in the process, Elric was able to fully recover all the incomplete knowledge that lingered vaguely in his mind.
The servants of Demon God - four great Demon Kings.
There were records of 'Great Demon Kings'.
Est Originale Peccatum, Mephisto.
Shaitan, Finis.
Fornicationes, Lilith.
And Insanire, Azazel.
'Azazel is said to have bat wings, a goat's face, a lion's body, and hooves of a horse, right? His tyranny was no joke.'
In fact, unlike the other great demon kings whose names were barely mentioned,
There was quite a bit of record about Azazel.
Much more than the other three combined.
Because he showed the most interest and ambition in the human world.
'They say there were more than one or two countries that perished because of Azazel back then. My family paid most attention to him.'
As a result, they were relatively well-informed about Azazel's appearance and characteristics.
That was why Elric could immediately identify the statue.
[But for a totem honoring such a figure, there seems to be very little demonic energy involved, don't you think?]
『Because it is just an idol for worship.』
[Worship?]
『Simple worship of the guy... Well, you could see it that way.』
[Huh? But aren't demons considered antisocial outcasts? Do they even form organized groups?]
『...I don't think anyone has ever put it quite like that.』
[Anyway.]
『Anyway, adaptability is their greatest strength. While demons definitely have strong individual tendencies, that doesn't mean they don't form groups. If anything, they're more subservient to higher ranks based on the law of the strong.』
[Wouldn't that be the demon armies led by each demon king?]
『Higher level seals placed according to genealogy have the property of subordinating lower level seals. Azazel was the one who utilized these characteristics better than anyone else. The group later degenerated into a kind of cult.』
[So the totem was a medium for that cult of his?]
『More precisely, it seems to be for human sacrifices.]
In an instant, Elric's eyes sank deep.
If what Mephisto said was true, then everyone in this village was a sacrifice for Azazel.
『Is Azazel alive? Or was it a ritual for resurrection? Anyway, it must be related to him.』
[Does that mean there are followers?]
Elric's eyes lit up for a moment.
It seemed appropriate to interpret as a sign that the demons were starting to rise again.
'No. Perhaps even bigger figures.'
He hadn't heard that Great demon kings like Azazel were involved in the Great Demon War.
But what if the remnants of the defeated soldiers at the time were attempting to resurrect Azazel?
It was definitely not something to be taken lightly.
『Because he was the one who was most rampant in the human world. There may still be resolute forces left even after all this time.』
While Mephisto shrugged his shoulders, his expression throughout looking at the statue was uneasy.
'The four demon kings worshiped the same master but were rivals as good as enemies, right?'
Elric may not know the backstory between the Great demon kings, but at this moment, one thing seemed certain.
Mephisto looked very annoyed.
『Destroy it.』
[Now?]
『Yes. Wouldn't you be irritated too right now? Anyway, unless you destroy it, it will continue to absorb the vitality of the humans nearby along with soil fertility. So, destroy... No, wait!』
Mephisto lifted the corner of his mouth.
『Do you know how to consume demonic energy? Then absorb it. In that case, my seal will evolve accordingly!』
Mephisto's eyes sparkled.
Azazel's statue has already awakened the demonic energy as a totem.
Of course, all this demonic energy undoubtedly bore the nature of the seal.
Could he swallow such things?
Mephisto welcomed it with open arms.
In the demon hierarchy, they grow by plundering the seals and true names of their opponents. If Mephisto could seize even a bit from a demon king of the same caliber, he must do it.
[Let's bargain.]
『....Huh?』
[I said, tell me your price. You're not planning to swallow it whole, are you?]
Seeing Elric's expression of utter distaste, Mephisto's face contorted.
『You bastard! Bargaining! Isn't it sickening? Anyway, isn't it good for you too if you absorb the demonic energy?』
[Then let's just use it on the seal of cruelty. What's the point? It's been growing rapidly lately anyway.]
『As expected! You knew how to choose the seal artificially! So that's why even after swallowing the demonic energy, my seal didn't have any effect!』
[Why do men keep bringing up the past so pathetically? No wonder they're unpopular with women. Well, that's why you were outdone by the Snow Mountain King.]
『That's not it...!』
[Ah, forget it.]
『This guy!』
[Anyway, what can you offer?]
『.....What do you want?』
[The trigger of your seal. How about that?]
『No way! The second option!』
For Mephisto, the Seal of Original Sin was his last remaining pride.
[Then why not?]
But since Elric seemed to have no lingering feelings, Mephisto couldn't help but feel impatient.
So, he couldn't afford to miss this opportunity.
『Stoov! Fine! I'll give you a hint about this king's seal!』
[If that's the case, I don't need it either.]
『Do you think it's just a hint? Anyway, if you try to force the seal with your current abilities, you'll just die! So, aren't I trying to help you use it?』
Elric's eyes sparkled.
Finally, the path he desired was opening up.
But that meant Azazel's demonic energy was very important to Mephisto.
[That's not a lie, right?]
『I swear on my honor as the king! So please, just swallow that demonic energy!』
Elric was tempted to push a little further, but seeing Mephisto's fiery eyes, he decided to step back.
'Just getting closer to the Seal of Original Sin is a big gain.'
[Okay. Since you've been begging so much, I'll help you out.]
『....Why does this king have to deal with a guy like this? Argh!』
Mephisto inwardly wanted to cry, but the thought of finally being able to swallow Azazel's demonic energy made his eyes gleam.
This could potentially be a major turning point for him, depending on the circumstances after gaining independence.
'Could the Seal of Original Sin suddenly activate or something like that?'
Although Elric felt uneasy inside, he reached towards the statue, contemplating the thought of binding Mephisto.
And just as he was about to activate the command to absorb, the statue...
Twist!
'Something' that had been lying dormant in Elric's heart area suddenly moved.
Yummy... I see it...
It made a sound as if chuckling.
And then, from his fingertips, shadows rose, revealing sharp teeth as it split into two halves.
『W-what's this?』
Mephisto screamed in sudden panic.
Crunch!
The shadow teeth, as if teasing Mephisto, promptly chewed up the wooden statue in one bite.
Two bites.
That was enough to make the statue vanish from the world.
『No-o-o-o!』
Mephisto, whose nose was cut right before his eyes, turned white and tried to grab the shadow by the collar.
But the shadow, having already completed its task, simply slid back into place, leaving Mephisto grasping at air.
『Aaaargh! Spit it out! Spit it out!』
He clung to Elric's hand and screamed, but the shadow showed no sign of coming out at all.
The Seal of Ferocity remained silent as well.
Elric was left perplexed.
'What's this? Getting my eyes gouged out, now?'
To be taken advantage of like this by a mere remnant within the seal!
"Disciple! What's going on...?"
Augustine also looked at Elric with a puzzled expression.
"...It seems I was hit by Yu."
"What?"
Augustine's eyes widened at Elric's reply, then turned into a look of disappointment.
"Huh! What...!"
The statue, which could have been crucial evidence of the demons' reappearance, had vanished into thin air.
『My demonic energy!』
Of course, such perplexity was nothing compared to Mephisto's frustration and disappointment.
***
"...Hm?"
"Why do you hesitate, ritual leader ?"
Clad in a black veil and black ceremonial robes, the ritual leader, who was fervently conducting a ceremony to the great being, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Consequently, the believers were forced to abruptly halt their rituals as well.
But despite the inquiries thrown his way, the ritual leader remained silent, gazing fixedly at the ceiling.
For a long while, he said nothing.
Then, when he opened his mouth again in a loud voice, the believers had to fall into contemplation.
"Some unbeliever dared to disturb the ceremony of the great being! As a result, the great being is greatly angered!"
"W-what...!"
"Which heathen would dare to commit such a heinous act!"
"Oh great being! Please do not forgive us for our unworthiness, and bring punishment upon those wicked souls who seek to disrupt Your great will!"
"Bring punishment upon them!"
"Bring punishment upon them!"
The believers quivered, fearing that the wrath of the great being, Azazel, might be directed at them.
The "ritual of revival" was the most important thing to them. If even the slightest harm came to it, it would be as if the day of calamity had arrived for those who sought to resurrect their race over the past thirty years.
"Judas! Fetch Judas at once!"
In response to the high ritual leader 's harsh command, the believers began to scurry about busily.
"Instruct Judas to prepare for a journey to the north with haste!"
***
The next day, Elric and his companions were able to depart from the village with warm hospitality.
"Thank you, oh my! We will never forget this kindness!"
"We will never forget this favor!"
It was already too late to just leave, and after the disappearance of the statue, the villagers insisted on somehow accommodating them as the water gradually rose in the reservoir.
Thanks to this, the travelers were able to spend a night in a bed rather than on the streets, and they felt considerably refreshed.
Except for Mephisto, of course.
『You, you wretch...! This king showed you so much consideration and kept you alive, and yet you dare to stab this king in the back like this? Never! I will never forgive you!』
Mephisto's lament was already piercing the sky.
If he had a physical body, he might have shed tears of blood.
'Is it because he's a Preta?'
In truth, Elric didn't feel too bad compared to the frustrated Mephisto.
While it was regrettable that he hadn't uncovered the secret of the Seal of Original Sin, it was of no use anyway if he couldn't use it right away.
He didn't even know if it was better that the achievement level of the Seal of Ferocity increased.
'Is it already a 4-star just because I swallowed it?'
As the Seal of Ferocity developed, the Preta Sense became more sensitive, and body strengthening art and magic martial arts were automatically strengthened.
'Still, it's a bit awkward for the seal to activate on its own without my intention.'
A power that couldn't be properly controlled was almost worse than not having it at all.
That was Elric's thought.
Because he didn't know when it would put him in jeopardy.
'Perhaps there's no other way but to quickly develop magic martial arts?'
Magic Martial arts coexist and are opposed to the Seal of Ferocity. Because the origin of magic martial arts opposes the Seal of Ferocity.
He should hurry up and make a bridle. Thinking such, as they were contemplating this.
"For now, I've informed the local administrative office nearby. They'll be completely surprised."
Augustine climbed onto the carriage, clicking his tongue.
After leaving the village, Elric and the others briefly detoured off the road to the north and explored all the nearby villages along the mountainside.
Just in case there might be similar totems.
And
They were able to discover a total of nine totems.