Dungeon Defense

"……Barbatos, you're going to apologize?"

Sitri's tone was one of surprise. Her original intention was to settle the matter with Zepar. She never expected the rival faction's leader to step forward.

"I represent the Plains Faction. I have no intention of shifting the blame to someone else or cowardly hiding. If an apology is to be made, it should rightly come from my lips."

"Do you admit to the accusation Sitri has raised?"

Marbas furrowed his brows.

"Are you acknowledging that you incited internal strife within the Mountain Faction and persuaded Belial?"

"Nope."

"What…….?"

Barbatos' resolute statement caused an uproar among the gathering. The faces of the Mountain Faction Demon Lords, including Sitri, twisted in displeasure. Some had an air of 'as expected'. This time, Marbas did not seem intent on quelling the disturbance, and he took the momentum to question further.

"Here's what it is. I'll admit to having wronged the Mountain Faction. I'll acknowledge that as much as you want. But I did not commit the misdeed that Sitri is accusing me of."

Barbatos shrugged. It was a playful gesture that only served to provoke the Mountain Faction Demon Lords. Sitri muttered under her breath.

"I asked for an apology, not to hear your bullshit."

"Calm down, Sitri. Your beloved big sister is watching over us. Raising your voice in a place like this is not respectful to the deceased……. Now is it?"

Barbatos stroked the surface of Paimon's glass casket with her left hand. It was a clear provocation.

The Demon Lords from both the Mountain and Plains Faction drew their weapons almost simultaneously.

Even though they had surrendered their weapons upon entering the chamber, Demon Lords were capable of summoning their armaments without even drawing a magic circle. In the blink of an eye, Sitri held her whip sword in her hand, while Brother Beleth gripped his axe.

"Remove your filthy hand this instant."

A palpable killing intent emanated from Sitri.

In response, Barbatos, while maintaining her playful demeanor, held up her palm in a calming gesture.

"When someone speaks, it's only proper to listen to the end. Why are you so hasty to draw your blades? Are you saying I don't even have the right to touch the casket? If you truly want to see blood here, just say so."

"……."

"Do you see this, Marbas? The new leader of the Mountain Faction seems rather hot-headed. Even Paimon wouldn't have drawn her weapon over such a provocation."

The atmosphere in the chamber grew increasingly tense. It was as if the air itself was daring someone to speak one more word. The Demon Lords of each faction were now poised against one another, ready to strike. Only the five unaffiliated Demon Lords—Vassago, Gamigin, Aamon, and the others—remained on the sideline as they watched the impending chaos with keen interest.

"……I am going to fall ill due to each of you showing your worst."

Marbas sighed. It was a faint sigh, barely audible, but to my ears, it was almost as if the sky was collapsing. Perhaps it was time for the alchemists of the demon world to invent a stomach remedy specifically for Marbas.

"I am fed up with you all making a mess of things. Fight to your heart's content. However, be prepared. The faction that decides to attack first will face the full might of the Neutral Faction."

As soon as Marbas made his declaration, the Neutral Faction Demon Lords summoned their weapons.

If the Mountain Faction and the Plains Faction clashed, the Plains Faction would almost certainly emerge victorious. However, if the Neutral Faction joined forces with the Mountain Faction, the outcome would become uncertain. This created a delicate balance where neither side could act rashly.

Marbas must feel like cursing the world. After all, whenever an explosive threat was removed, the Demon Lords were always ready to overpower the opposing faction with brute force. One could accept this as the way of the world, but for Marbas, who prioritized political compromise above all else, it was no wonder he had stomach problems…….

"Well, we never had any intention of inciting a bloodbath anyway."

Barbatos shook her head.

"Here's the deal. Neither I nor anyone in the Plains Faction ever devised or executed a plan to deliberately cause strife within the Mountain Faction. However, we also had no intention of stopping anyone who came to us willingly."

"……So you're saying that Belial acted entirely on his own?"

"Yup, that's the truth."

Barbatos smirked, lifting the corners of her mouth.

"We had no intention of meddling in your affairs. Belial simply volunteered to switch sides. 'Normally', there's no reason we should apologize to you all……but well."

Barbatos tilted her head slightly, glancing back at the Plains Faction Demon Lords behind her. It was as if she were seeking their agreement with a casual 'right?' Of course, there wasn't an ounce of sincerity in her behavior. The Plains Faction Demon Lords chuckled quietly as if they'd heard a joke.

"I might have been a bit careless. I mean, it was just one lower-ranked Demon Lord deciding to leave. I didn't expect you to react like rabid monkeys over it. I didn't realize the Mountain Faction's atmosphere was that bad. Sorry, my bad."

"……."

"I admit, I was a bit inconsiderate. I should've been more mindful of what kind of situation a weaker faction would be going through and acted accordingly, but I wasn't. Truly, I apologize for that. You said I should bow to Paimon, right? It's an unmoving corpse anyway, so sure, I'll bow all you want."

Barbatos spread her arms wide like a lead actor on a theatrical stage and bowed towards the glass casket. However, no matter how one looked at it, it wasn't a sincere apology.

As the atmosphere in the cell grew increasingly cold, Barbatos lifted her head and grinned.

"But, Sitri. I'm genuinely curious and asking out of sheer curiosity."

"……."

"Wouldn't it be better for a worthless organization that can't even properly manage a small fry to just perish? I feel like that'd be best for the sake of the world and in respect for the deceased."

Sitri swung her whip sword.

The moment the whip sword, with its curving blade, was about to strike Barbatos' neck, Brother Beleth had already positioned himself to intercept the attack. He brought the center of the whip sword down with a chopping motion as if splitting firewood. The floor of the chamber shook with a thud.

The attack was both executed and blocked in an instant.

"—."

Brother Beleth sneered at Sitri. Perhaps he was already ready to battle as Brother Beleth's tan muscles rippled as if they were alive. In contrast, Sitri stared at him with an indifferent and cold expression.

"You've done it now."

Barbatos spoke, partially obscured by Brother Beleth.

"You attacked me first."

Barbatos raised her right hand. Black mana swirled and emanated from her hand. Soon after, Barbatos' symbolic scythe which could be considered her other half was summoned. The scythe that severs not only bodies but also souls.

"What will you do now, old man? They attacked me first."

"……."

"If you bring up a weak argument about political compromise or anything like that, you might just disappoint me a little."

Marbas covered his forehead with his palm. It was apparent that he had a headache. With his expression hidden, Marbas muttered in a low voice.

"……Everyone, cooperate with the Plains Faction."

The Neutral Faction Demon Lords turned their blades all at once.

Thus, 9 Plains Faction members and 6 Neutral Faction members, totaling 15 Demon Lords, completely surrounded the Mountain Faction.

The Mountain Faction had 11 members, so they weren't significantly outnumbered, but the issue lay in quality rather than quantity. The Plains Faction had Barbatos, Beleth, and Zepar. The Demon Lords of the Neutral Faction were seasoned veterans of war. This situation was too much for the generally moderate Demon Lords of the Mountain Faction.

"Ugh……."

"You insolent bastards……!"

The Mountain Faction Demon Lords retreated a step. They tried to narrow the space to make it so that their enemy would have to fight a lot of them at once if they tried to attack. However, they were already losing momentum.

Some of them instinctively glanced toward the entrance of the chamber. They probably wanted to secure an escape route if things went south.

"Wow, everyone seems eager to fight."

Unfortunately, the entrance was blocked by three Demon Lords: Vassago, Gamigin, and Aamon.

Although they weren't holding weapons, no one here was foolish enough to misunderstand the significance of them blocking the exit in this situation. As if to prove it, Gamigin watched the center of the chamber with eyes full of keen interest.

"……."

"……."

The Plains Faction Demon Lords took a step forward.

In response, the Mountain Faction Demon Lords took a step back.

The silence was palpable.

The Plains Faction Demon Lords did not rush. Like a pride of lionesses slowly encircling their prey, they tightened the noose around their opponents. At most, they took one step per minute. In the confined space of the chamber, however, even a single step was crucial.

After five minutes, the Mountain Faction Demon Lords were completely surrounded by the Plains Faction Demon Lords. Behind them stood the Neutral Faction Demon Lords, and further back, the unaffiliated Demon Lords held their ground. This situation epitomized the term "no room to escape".

"I won't be cliche and tell you to surrender."

Barbatos smiled as she spoke.

"But, Sitri, this goes especially to you."

"……."

"You were sad because Paimon died? Were you afraid that if the Mountain Faction fell apart, all traces of Paimon left in this world would also disappear? Is that why you massacred a hundred thousand innocent denizens of the demon world? Did you think Paimon's restless spirit would be soothed and find peace that way?"

Barbatos' expression instantly turned cold.

The playful smile she had worn vanished completely.

"Don't make me laugh, you bitch."

"……."

"Let me tell you the truth. If I had to name the one Demon Lord who would have despaired the most over your massacre, it would be Paimon, whom you loved and loved again. You not only abandoned your duty as a Demon Lord, but you also betrayed the heart of the woman you claimed to have devoted your entire being to."

Barbatos shouted.

"Marbas! I'm submitting a new agenda right here and now! The crime of massacring a hundred thousand innocent citizens! The crime of unlawfully killing Demon Lord Belial, who had committed no wrongdoing! For these two crimes, I demand that the criminal Sitri be punished in the name of the Demon Lord Army!"

"……The agenda is accepted. Demon Lord Sitri, who has been accused, and Barbatos, who has made the accusation, as well as myself as the chair, will temporarily be stripped of our elector status. The remaining three electors will cast their votes."

Marbas looked around.

"There's no reason for me to refuse, so I agree~."

"Of course, I agree."

"……Hmph. I also agree."

Gamigin, Brother Zepar, and Vassago approved.

Marbas sighed.

"Since all three with voting rights agreed, the punishment of Demon Lord Sitri is unanimously approved."

"That is absurd!"

"Are you out of your minds!?"

As soon as Marbas finished speaking, the Mountain Faction Demon Lords shouted in anger. However, with their swords already poised against the Plains Faction right in front of them, they couldn't afford to look away.

Barbatos sneered.

"This is your last chance, folks. You can still switch sides with honor."

"……."

"I'm generous. If anyone wants to join in the punishment of that slaughterer Sitri, speak up now. I'll give you exactly thirty seconds."

The swords held by the Mountain Faction Demon Lords wavered unsteadily.

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. Not really much to say, since the situation is the same as before. Just need to survive the next few days and my schedule should lighten up for a bit! Pray for me.

Although I admit that I haven't been as motivated to translate this past month. I wonder if it's the summer heat… Or maybe it's the fact that I've basically been doing this non-stop for the past 6-7 years now? Oh wow, it's been so long…

In any case, I'll see you guys on the other side when I can actually breathe.