The elite of the magic tower, a shadow of doubt crossed Zeta’s face.
“Death Match…?”
Thinking about it, it was no surprise.
It wouldn’t be strange to behead someone after the Imperial Tower had rendered them incapable of resistance. It meant the Magic Tower could strike.
“…Inspector, do you even know what a Death Match means before running your mouth? One side must die. I could kill you, you know?”
Zeta sneered.
But Ezekiel’s scheme was right there.
“A Death Match and an execution are no different.”
A calm voice echoed.
“What?”
“No matter how much you struggle, I can proceed without any resistance as if executing you.”
Ezekiel had perfectly assessed Zeta’s combat abilities while disguising himself as a demon.
Calculations played out in his mind. No matter how much Zeta fought, he could be entirely subdued. Ezekiel could claim a complete victory.
To overwhelm the opponent under the name of a Death Match, showcasing the power disparity and bestowing great humiliation couldn’t get any better.
“This bastard….”
Zeta could no longer hold back his emotions and started cursing, but Ezekiel didn’t even entertain that. He cut off his words.
“Got any grand plans in your head? Don’t even think about pulling any tricks. Until the banquet day, you’ll be my prisoner.”
“…”
“Literally like a captive. When the banquet day arrives, you’ll amuse us like a jester. You’ll end up meeting a miserable death, though.”
Then Ezekiel turned his head towards the elders.
“You’re not exempt either. All the mages of the Magic Tower who are complicit in this will participate in the Death Match that day. It won’t end until everyone’s dead.”
The elders’ expressions grew quite uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, Ezekiel found himself at a loss for words when he saw their faces, which seemed to have lost all words.
“Cheer up, didn’t you want to kill the Imperial Tower? I thought I’m giving you a good spot for it.”
With that, he swiftly turned his head.
Immediately, the telepathic messages from Seina and Agnes came through.
──Phew, that really clears my mind!
──Inspector, this seems like an excellent method. There’s no need to worry since the Magic Tower has no mage capable of standing against you.
“Impudent bastards….”
Zeta muttered something, whether for himself or to be heard, and the conversation came to a close.
With all circumstances leaning in favor of the Imperial Tower, could he refuse to sign? No, he could not.
Zeta’s and the elders’ signatures were fully inscribed on the scroll, followed by silence.
There was no need for them to converse further.
However.
From time to time, Zeta glanced at Ezekiel with a sly look.
It felt conspicuously like he was plotting something; it seemed he was searching for a way out even in this situation.
Ezekiel found that amusingly pathetic.
The word “elite” felt like an insult.
“Let’s tie them all up and head towards the Imperial Tower.”
After a while, Ezekiel murmured that.
Of course, a shadow of doubt crossed the faces of Zeta and the Magic Tower elders. A few even questioned.
“…Head towards the Imperial Tower? What do you mean?”
“Didn’t I tell you? You’re in a prisoner’s position.”
Ezekiel wore a chilling expression.
“We can’t waste the buildings and resources of the Empire. Get ready to rot in prison until the day of the banquet.”
The path back from the town of Clatie to the Imperial Capital was treacherous.
Weeds grown to waist height, thorny branches hanging down, an unbearably humid temperature… It was hell that words couldn’t adequately describe.
“Hey, if we use the dimensional magic circle, we can get there easily…”
“Shut up.”
Ezekiel cut off Zeta’s words harshly.
Of course, there were easier and faster ways, but Ezekiel’s group intentionally chose this route.
Though they suffered, it was to punish the mages of the Magic Tower. They all looked like they were on the brink of exhaustion, bound tightly.
In contrast, Ezekiel’s group was doing relatively well, thanks to Ezekiel’s chill periodically cooling their bodies.
Agnes spoke up.
“It seems we’ll have to camp here for a day. It’s getting dark.”
“If it were just us, we would’ve done a magical sprint, but…”
Seina glanced at the prisoners of the Magic Tower.
“Right now, we’re dragging around trash bags. It’s fine. Let’s camp for today.”
Then suddenly, Seina recalled something.
She chose telepathy. It was not something to disclose in front of the mages of the Magic Tower.
──But this is where the Demon Lord appeared before. Should we move a bit further to camp?
──It’s meaningless. The Demon Lord isn’t restricted by location anyway. Let’s just stay here.
──Well, that makes sense. Then this place is the best fit. Those Magic Tower bastards need to suffer properly.
Immediately, the three began creating their shelter. Seina’s ice, Agnes’s telekinesis, and Ezekiel’s energy combined for impressive speed.
They casually left the mages of the Magic Tower thrown into the bushes and began to build a temporary structure right in front of them. They even wrapped themselves in a refreshing chill.
It was a clear setup to punish the mages of the Magic Tower. They even ate food right there in front of them.
Seeing the mages of the Magic Tower eyeing them as they ate, Seina laughed, as if she found it ridiculous.
“Looks like you’re feeling hunger now, after devouring the backs of the Empire’s citizens without a care.”
“Do not treat them as humans. They are mere beasts.”
She continued eating while openly belittling the Magic Tower. Even amidst it all, there was not a single sound of discontent from the Purple Magic Tower.
Having not eaten all day and unable to use magic, they trudged through the terrain. They didn’t even have the energy to resist.
Suddenly, Ezekiel asked Agnes.
“Is word of what happened in Clatie spreading well?”
“Clatie is a city with quite a trade, many merchants passing through. They’ll be spreading not just goods but rumors all day long.”
“What about the Death Match?”
“As for that, I specifically requested the citizens of Clatie to spread the word. A massive crowd will gather on the day of the banquet.”
Ezekiel didn’t even need to say so. Agnes was executing her tasks thoroughly.
“You did well.”
There was nothing else to say but praise.
At that moment.
“Why not just kill me right here?”
Zeta opened his mouth.
His face had grown gaunt from starving all day, yet his insolent expression remained intact.
“Who knows what variables might arise in a Death Match? I can see your confidence is sky-high, but if you lose your life in front of so many people, it would be a major disaster, wouldn’t it?”
“…”
“The Purple Magic Tower exists for battle and will not shy away from any means to win. So if you don’t kill me today….”
Zeta grinned.
“…You’ll definitely regret it. That’s the meaning of this.”
“Maybe I should have gagged you? You just can’t shut up.”
Despite Ezekiel’s indifferent reply, Zeta only grew more brazen. It made one wonder where his confidence was coming from.
“Oh, I might do this instead.”
Zeta grinned wider.
“Should I sell my soul to the demons and gain power? Then at least in the Death Match, I might be able to chop off the limbs of the Imperial Tower’s Inspector. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
He spoke of soul trading.
‘Is he trying to play a game of deception?’
Ezekiel contemplated.
Was it simply a provocation driven by emotion?
Or was he seeking to not only maintain some dignity for the Purple Magic Tower but also searching for a way to die here? Was there some calculation involved?
If it was the latter, he was more clever than he appeared, but as Ezekiel was pondering this…
Kaboom!
A sudden burst of dark energy erupted.
It was strange; even though the night was covered in darkness, there was an exceptionally intense black aura.
It was a dense concentration of mana. Ezekiel’s group immediately got up to respond.
“Inspector, this energy is…!”
“Could it be that’s come again? Damn it, that’s why I tried to avoid this area!”
SWOOSH!
Agnes and Seina tried to erect a protective barrier together, but something huge sped through even before the barrier could form.
Was it a direct hit?
No.
It wasn’t aimed at Ezekiel’s group at all.
BAM!
What followed was rather unexpected. They had anticipated a tremendous explosion, but it was merely the dull sound of something crashing heavily.
“Cough…!”
A rough breath escaped. It was Zeta.
BANG!
With the reddish-black mana dispersing in all directions, the area lit up, and only then did they see their assailant.
A woman with gray hair covered her lost eyes with a blindfold and had just dealt a heavy blow to Zeta.
It was the Demon Lord Valetta.
“Thinking of selling your soul to the demons?”
Tsk, tsk, tsk, the woman clicked her tongue repeatedly.
“Hmm~ No, I won’t take trash like you.”
Valetta had finished her deliberation.
What’s the best way to win over Ezekiel’s favor?
Simply beating up someone she wanted to beat up would do, wouldn’t it?
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