Dungeon Defense

Barbatos' hand was as cold as ice.

"Dantalian, you're playing dumb on purpose, aren't you?"

I turned only my upper body to look at Barbatos. It seems she had no intention of letting me go as she continued to glare at me while holding on to my wrist. Due to our height difference, she had to look up at me.

"Playing dumb? What for?"

"We can just absorb the Mountain Faction while we're at it. That'd be the simplest and most certain solution. This way, you and Zepar won't have to bow your heads. All our issues will be solved if we use this chance to erase everything that bitch Paimon left behind."

Her lion-like golden eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

"You said they're all gathered in the palace, right? Perfect. This is our chance. We can wipe them out all at once."

"…….Are you out of your mind, Barbatos?"

I was so taken aback that I let out a hollow laugh.

"We haven't done anything wrong. Zepar did nothing wrong, you did nothing wrong, and I certainly did nothing fucking wrong either. Dantalian, I fail to see why we should apologize to that filthy dog."

It seemed Barbatos was completely serious.

"That's what politics is."

"Politics is a means established among at least seemingly equal individuals. I'm the most powerful Demon Lord, you know?"

Barbatos' grip on my wrist tightened.

"We no longer need politics."

"…….."

"There was only one reason why I hadn't been able to crush the Mountain Faction until now. It was because that bitch Paimon was popular among the demons. People are naturally drawn to women who giggle like some whore. But now, Paimon is dead."

Barbatos' lips twisted into a smile.

"And Sitri proved just how foolish she is. She slaughtered nearly a hundred thousand demons, innocent people. She forgot that her faction's lifeline is the demons and instead killed them herself. What an idiot……."

"Thanks to her, the Mountain Faction has united as one."

"A bunch of weaklings banding together isn't enough to scare even a passing dog."

Barbatos was hitting the nail on the head.

Thanks to Sitri's reign of terror, the Mountain Faction had come together as one even in such dire times. But the problem was public opinion.

Currently, the demons were mourning Paimon's death. The atmosphere was one where even tearing apart the archdukes, who assassinated Paimon, limb by limb wouldn't be enough to satisfy the masses. However, in regard to Sitri's massacre, which indiscriminately wiped out civilians unrelated to the archdukes, the sentiment was……naturally, very negative.

Bloody Sitri, this was Sitri's new nickname.

However, no one could raise their voice to complain.

Even if they wanted to, they couldn't.

The most powerful figures in the demon world were killed off so easily. One hundred thousand citizens were buried in just over ten days. In such a situation, there was no demon bold enough to curse Sitri. All of them had already been buried, after all.

So, in other words:

"Sitri is digging her own grave."

If it were a Demon Lord and not just a demon, since fellow Demon Lords are the only ones who can oppose one another, it would be possible to criticize Sitri even in this situation.

"She's already crossed the allowable limit by killing a hundred thousand innocent demons. And now she's even purged Belial, a fellow faction member. Dantalian, you can't be this stupid, right? We can't bow our heads at a time like this. This is an opportunity. A golden opportunity that doesn't come twice……!"

Barbatos was right.

If we wanted to eliminate the Mountain Faction, now was the heaven-sent opportunity.

Their leader, Paimon, had been assassinated, and their newly risen leader, Sitri, had lost popular support. Meanwhile, the Plains Faction was boasting their firm foothold. The Plains Faction had both the justification and the capability to bring down the Mountain Faction.

Even so, the reason I didn't point that out was…….

"Don't feel guilty about Paimon, Dantalian."

"……."

"Even if you try to sacrifice yourself for the Mountain Faction now, it would just look ridiculous. What? Did you start feeling bad for Sitri because she went mad? Do you suddenly feel guilty because it feels like it's all your fault?"

Barbatos laughed mockingly.

"Don't make me laugh. Pity and guilt are fodder fit for swine. All they do is fatten the soul with useless weight. If you were going to be this soft, you shouldn't have killed Paimon in the first place—."

Barbatos yanked my hand, placing it firmly against her chest.

"You should have killed me. You should have chosen that bitch Paimon over me. But you didn't, Dantalian, you idiot. You chose me. And now you have to bear the weight of that choice forever!"

Barbatos slapped my cheek. It wasn't a hard slap. It was just enough to turn my head slightly.

It felt more like a blow to the mind than to the body.

"Don't go soft on me. Stay ruthless. This is exactly as you said: it's just politics. And the essence of politics is the weak being devoured by the strong! Without Paimon, the Mountain Faction has no cause, no purpose! Why should we keep around such a useless, spineless lot!?"

Barbatos finally let go of my wrist.

But her gaze remained fixed on me, binding me more tightly than her grip ever had. It refused to let me go.

"I've made up my mind. I was still unsure when Zepar came to report what happened to me, but your pathetic display has solidified my decision. Yeah, it's time to crush the maggots that are gnawing at the Demon Lord Army."

"That's reckless. Even if the Mountain Faction lacks fighters, Sitri is still there."

"Ha, your mouth may be twisted, but don't twist your words. They have no one except that bitch Sitri. Do you really think she can handle Beleth, Zepar, and me all at once? It'd be a miracle if she could last even ten minutes."

I fell silent. It was true.

After a brief pause, I spoke again.

"……The other Demon Lords won't just stand by while the Plains Faction goes unchecked. Look at Marbas. The most sensible and cultured among us is silent about the recent massacre because he believes the Mountain Faction shouldn't fall right now."

"I'll pass on the information that Sitri killed Belial."

Barbatos responded immediately. It didn't feel like she was speaking off the cuff. She must have already thought long and hard about this while staring at this garden pond before I arrived. Barbatos had been planning this all this time.

"What that geezer Marbas fears isn't the collapse of our factions. He's afraid of situations that can't be controlled. If he becomes certain that Sitri has gone mad to the point of being uncontrollable, he'll resolve himself to get rid of her even if there's a little bloodshed."

That was also true.

If he finds out that Sitri didn't stop at massacring civilians and was actively reigning through terror by killing a fellow Demon Lord in her own faction without hesitation, Marbas would seriously consider dissolving the Mountain Faction.

"We don't have to kill all the Mountain Faction Demon Lords. They're already pathetic weaklings who can't do anything without a leader to guide them. They'll all fall in line if we just eliminate Sitri. It doesn't matter even if they then decide to all join the Neutral Faction."

"……."

"And, Dantalian, one hundred thousand innocent demons died."

Barbatos spoke in a grave tone.

"Demon Lords are responsible for demonkind. Sitri, who has forgotten this duty and rampaged out of personal vengeance, no longer deserves to call herself a Demon Lord. For the sake of demonkind, I have to eliminate Sitri."

This was probably the decisive reason for Barbatos.

She had been waiting quietly because she wasn't able to seize a golden opportunity. From her perspective, Sitri purging Belial was exactly what she had desperately been hoping for. Eliminating the Mountain Faction and having the Plains Faction represent the will of demons had been her long-standing ambition. This was the opportunity to achieve that goal…….

"Dantalian, I told you in Bruno. You can't be a brat now. You must become a Demon Lord who carries the consensus of all demons on your back. If there is ever a moment when we must become kings—this is probably that exact moment."

"……."

"Eliminate the lunatic who massacred one hundred thousand of her own people. There is no room for personal feelings like guilt here."

Barbatos lightly tapped my chest with her fist.

"I'll persuade that geezer Marbas. You go persuade Vassago and Gamigin. It shouldn't be hard since they'd both dance naked in the middle of a desert if you asked them to. The only hurdle is convincing that old man."

Barbatos then began to walk past me. The white-haired Demon Lord slowly trod the stone path in the back garden, which had darkened as clouds obscured the moon.

"If you absolutely can't kill Sitri……come and tell me directly. I'll respect your decision if you tell me that you can't partake in this. Though I'll be very disappointed in you. Very much so."

The sound of her footsteps grew fainter until it eventually disappeared into the air.

I was left alone in the garden.

Barbatos had a tendency to force me to choose between two options, and this time was no different. Paimon or me. Sitri or me. She made the vague and unclear situation become distant. However, the responsibility for the choice was mine to bear.

I didn't resent that.

I didn't want to blame Barbatos.

From the beginning, it was my fault for trying to have everything. I thought I could control and manage the Plains Faction, the Mountain Faction, the Neutral Faction, and even the unaffiliated Demon Lords. You could call this immature confidence. Naturally, the factions and individuals who had been at odds for thousands of years weren't going to shed their long-standing grievances just because of me.

Even if it hadn't taken this form, I would have had to cut off either Barbatos or Paimon eventually.

I figured it would happen at least ten years later.

But Paimon and Barbatos judged it to be an immediate issue.

That was why Paimon made the bold move with the republican representative meeting, and Barbatos utilized the archdukes in the demon world to assassinate Paimon. Both believed that if it was inevitable, they should strike first. They thought that if they didn't act first, they would be the ones to suffer.

"……."

In the end, was it me who was clumsy?

Did I make a mistake somewhere?

Barbatos, whether intentionally or unintentionally, pointed it out very accurately. I had to forever bear the responsibility. This was something I felt thoroughly when Paimon's warm blood soaked my palms……

I turned and walked in the direction of Gamigin's bedroom.

I was now going to persuade Gamigin followed by Vassago. It was impossible to stop now. Neither Barbatos, nor I, nor Sitri could stop…….

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. Things really feel like they're falling apart for Dantalian. I wonder if he'll actually be able to salvage things somehow. Tho, considering everyone's personality, that might be difficult.

In any case, I was a bit busy with family stuff over the weekend. Went to see my dad again cause he wanted to see me and my mum this time. His voice sounded okay, but he's struggling a lot more to walk. He's at least making sure to eat his meals properly, so I guess that's a good sign.

In any case, life stuff happens, FFXIV stuff happens, distractions distractions. I wonder if I'm feeling less motivated cause of how things are progressing right now in DD… Maybe…

Welp, I'll see you guys in the next chapter.