Volume 2 Chapter 22 (1/2)

TL;DR note: Humans are also transferred at the start of a war. Read below for more.

The [Steel] Demon Lord Zagan was discussing with me his alliance with two other Demon Lords.

One of his offers involved him betraying his two allies and teaming up with me to then defeat the other two.

I of course turned down that offer. Zagan trembled and stood, separating himself from his earlier image of an aristocrat calmly enjoying his fine coffee.

”Are you a fool? Did you not understand anything I've said? Don't you get it? This is the best option for you!”

”It certainly is not a bad deal.”

If I fully cooperated with him and did everything as we discussed, victory was all but certain.

At the very least, it would be far easier than fighting three at once.

”Then, why!?”

It seemed strange he even had to ask but then again, it was strange for him to think I would accept such a deal to begin with.

”It's simple: how can I trust and cooperate with someone who has betrayed his own allies? How can I believe you won't stab me in the back just like you discarded them? No, at this point, you will undoubtedly do so. There's even the chance this is all just part of an elaborate plan you cooked up to trap me.”

”How can I even be capable of such?”

”It's not so inconceivable. After all, you're doing it already.”

His calm demeanor from his confidence that I would go along with his plans was now nowhere to be seen.

His plan definitely gave more chances of success but I wasn't so gullible that I would believe someone that would easily betray his allies. And besides, that wasn't my only reason for refusing.

”Another thing, isn't it more profitable to fight three Demon Lords at once?”

”What the heck are you talking about?”

”I mean, by doing so, don't I have a chance to gain three original medals? Oh how can I ever pass this chance up?”

I intentionally flashed him a smug smile and said so as if to suggest they were prey I would naturally hunt.

He visibly trembled. I would guess that he assumed I would have been afraid of the notion of a three on one [War].

”Such arrogance, [Creation] Demon Lord Procell. You will come to regret that decision.”

”Am I now? I think I'll regret it more to trust someone like you to guard my back.”

He trembled once more and then raised his right hand and voiced the next words out loud:

”Come! Ronove! Morax!”

When he said so, a transfer array appeared on the ground. That transfer array must have been concealed with some kind of power.

And what appeared out of the array were two Demon Lords.

Ronove was a bipedal frog. He was an extremely unattractive man who stood nearly two meters tall and had boils all over his body.

Morax would have passed for a human man on the prime of his life except he looked fiendish, what with his demonic horns and wings.

The two looked ready and even excited to announce their declaration of [War] against me. It would seem what Zagan said about summoning these two after I refused his proposal for my surrender was true.

Zagan was just about to speak but I decided to cut in and put a damper on things.

”You two, [Steel] Demon Lord Zagan here just tried to sell the both of you out. He requested something like an alliance between the two of us and then fight the two of you together. He said that it will be easier for me to defeat two small fries rather than the three of you all together. Not to mention, he will certainly clear the one [War] quota if we allied.”

Upon saying so, the two looked at Zagan and then at me.

A great alliance crumbling so easily.

But then, Zagan clicked his tongue and spoke.

”Don't be fooled! It's a trick to confuse us! I will never say those things! If we can't trust each other, our alliance would be meaningless and he will get exactly want he wants!”

Zagan shouted at the two but they only grew even more confused. I expected he would say something like that but my purpose for speaking was more about planting seeds of doubt so it didn't really matter if they believed me or not. In times I would need it most, I just had to drive a small wedge into their already fragile alliance.

”B-but t-that-”

”What are you mumbling about, Ronove? You're acting like a half-wit. But then again, you can't do anything without me, now can you? So just shut up and listen to me.”

”Hii! Okay, okay, I get it.”

The two-legged frog curled his body down as if to hide.

Evidently that was the power balance between the two.

”You too, Morax, do not be fooled by such tricks. We are allies!”

”……I guess you're right. Yes, I'm sure it's as you say, Zagan.”

Hmm, this fiendish-looking demon is actually timid, huh.

Zagan was a small fry but strangely enough, he was of the crafty kind. And he chose Demon Lords he could easily manipulate as his allies.

”Ronove, Morax, quickly! Let's declare war on him. I'll go first!”

Zagan forcibly pushed the idea, leaving them unable to fall back. It wasn't such a bad move.

”I, [Steel] Demon Lord Zagan, do hereby challenge [Creation] Demon Lord Procell to a [War]!”

”I-I, [Viscosity] Demon Lord Ronove, do hereby challenge [Creation] Demon Lord Procell to a [War]!”

”I, [Evil] Demon Lord Morax, would like to issue a challenge to [Creation] Demon Lord Procell to a [War]. Yes.”

Zagan started it off and the declarations of war came one after another.

Right after so, I heard a sound within my mind. That sound was the Creator's voice. It was strange but I felt like I missed it.

>

So this is what happens when war is declared, I thought.

The war could be started in as short as 48 hours after declaration and Demon Lords that were declared [War] on must participate.

I still felt the connection with the Creator and thought it the right time to ask one thing.

”What are the victory conditions for a three on one? I get that I lose if I get killed or my crystal is broken but will I have to break all their crystals to win?”

I wanted to make sure.

If I could win by breaking just one crystal, that would make things a lot easier for me.

But then I heard the Creator's laughter within my head. That doesn't bode well.