Bellin Grancia was a person who embodied the symbol of the Heart Queen.
A heart-shaped red diamond.
Like an icon representing health in a game.
“Son-in-law, are you okay?”
“Ah… yes, thanks to you, I’m alive.”
As she was circling around me, healing my wounds.
It seemed like they were truly mother and daughter.
Just like Pina twisted the concept from steel to use glass magic.
‘They shine the same. It’s a diamond because it’s tough.’
Queen Bellin was casting magic using diamonds.
The sound of the bones that were cracked started to mend anew.
Using divine power along with magic, I suppose.
I should have realized it when she copied the imperial palace by gesturing and layered a fake one.
Diamonds refract light, right? Using that principle, she turned this place into a matryoshka doll.
“That’s creepy. To think someone like that tried to lay a hand on our Pina…”
Queen Bellin clicked her tongue while looking at the Demon God pierced through the heart by her diamond sword.
With arms moving grotesquely, writhing like an overturned bug.
Even if she kept stabbing him with the sword, it seemed merely a delay.
“It’s horrendous. I’ve never seen such a terrible relationship in my life.”
“It surely is a tenacious bad fate.”
She exhaled a bitter sigh as she continued speaking.
Between me and the Magic Hat, there was a sticky, gooey evil.
It was said that it resembled a snake that bites its own tail.
“It looks like the relationship between us and Pina has been flipped upside down.”
That’s true.
We were both resurrected with the same heir’s power, heading towards the Grand Route as our goal.
“Oh dear… isn’t she the ill-fated queen?”
I could say that I was the complete opposite of that guy, twisted in every way.
“The woman loved by Rock Grancia, a magical genius born once every thousand years.”
“Don’t you dare utter Rock’s name with that filthy mouth.”
The Magic Hat opened its mouth with a sound like scraping metal.
The way it nonchalantly pulled out the sword embedded in its heart gave chills.
As expected, our attacks did nothing.
Could it manipulate space? The ground physically folded, narrowing the distance between us.
“It feels like just yesterday I was trapped in my trump card, screaming.”
He was taunting Queen Bellin by leaning in close.
With a grin that stretched wide, the Magic Hat fiddled with the trump cards.
‘Dangerous…!’
──KWA-BOOM!!
I raised my shield to directly block the Magic Hat’s grasp.
It must have been trying to take Queen Bellin hostage, following the course of history.
The trump card that attempted to suck in the surroundings bounced back, creating tremendous pressure.
“A useless struggle. Oh, Demon King of Conviction.”
The Demon God was pushed far away again.
He chuckled softly as if to mock me.
Was I really going to have to draw a new Mind Sword?
There was no mental image I could sharpen into a blade here.
“I am now complete, combining omniscience, omnipotence, might, and truth.”
The Magic Hat took off its long silk hat and continued.
Monsters began to burst forth from the hat, filling the night sky.
A bird with tentacles.
Something with the bones of another animal instead of feathers.
It had a pigeon’s head, but the rest couldn’t be said to be living.
“Magic is just a trick. Isn’t that amusing?”
The Magic Hat made a short comment while looking at them.
Magic is indeed a deception with tricks behind it.
“But in this world, such lies can become truth.”
As it pointed its finger at me and Queen Bellin, countless birds rushed towards our eyes and flesh.
I pulled out an incorrect thought to smash them apart.
A silver great sword capable of severing the unclean.
Though last time, I turned into a tar-like goo because of its power.
‘This time will be different.’
I cut down the birds before it could speak.
Corpses fell from the sky like rain.
“You provide the biggest amusement of my life. Oh, Demon King of Conviction.”
“……!!”
In the meantime, something massive made of machinery appeared behind the Magic Hat.
So, sending the birds first was to create an opening, huh?
“Combining the metal that forms an omniscient gun, the divine being contracted by the Demon King of Might… and the ability to turn into all weapons.”
A huge figure, much like a clown.
With a similar appearance to the Magic Hat, a joker with a long grin appeared.
“Let me introduce you. I personally crafted the Deus Ex Machina.”
“Don’t tell me you’re combining people from other world lines…?”
An ominous feeling struck me instinctively.
Normally, a Deus Ex Machina refers to a foul Demon God present in this world.
But isn’t it that I can hear the screams of people from there?
“Yes, I have decided to take you seriously now.”
“You’ve lost your mind. You’re really… insane.”
As I realized this, the Magic Hat started to rejoice, raising its voice.
“When was I not insane?”
With a clunk, a giant arm extended out.
It was trying to grab me with its mechanical deity.
Even attempting to teleport was thwarted as the glass shards scattered apart.
The Magic Hat looked at me, placing a finger over its lips and making a shh gesture.
‘It’s locked the space.’
A no-escape attack.
I could see shadowy hands grasping at my ankles.
If death were to take form, it might look like that.
A deafening noise pierced my ears.
I swung my sword at the scene that looked like I was about to be run over by a huge truck.
The mechanical deity’s hand barely managed to tear off the front part of my helmet.
“Struggling looks so ridiculous. Oh, Demon King of Conviction.”
“Someone’s sincerity is so disgusting.”
I raised my middle finger towards the one floating in mid-air.
The helmet given to me by the Nameless Saintess Pina.
Without it, my head would have exploded like a tomato.
“I am the Demon God who will dominate all world lines.”
With that proclamation, the ground began to tremble.
A hand shot out from the ground, suddenly.
“I can resurrect the dead Demon Kings.”
“….?!”
An old man with spectacles.
A man with long purple hair.
And even a person with deer antlers like the Celestial Demon White Lily.
The Demon Kings of the Hero Church, whom I believed to be dead, were approaching me.
“Oh, Demon King of Conviction. Would you kindly give up now?”
The zombie-like Demon Kings drew their Holy Swords towards me.
Various weapons like revolvers, knuckledusters, and wooden swords.
How on earth can I escape this situation?
“Be careful!!”
Bang!
Diamond soldiers sprang forth to absorb the blows.
“It might just be a delay, but please!”
Shattered diamonds fell apart.
Once again, without the Holy Sword, I couldn’t fend off the Demon Kings.
Queen Bellin was casting magic with both hands to protect me.
“How disgusting. Do I have to wipe your memory to ensure compliance?”
While seeing that, the Magic Hat produced a red revolver from its hand.
The power of ignorance.
A power that makes one forgotten in this world.
“…Ha, damn it.”
My body wouldn’t move.
Even trying to swing my sword at the opponent was futile, as shadowy hands completely enveloped me.
I felt an overwhelming desire to give up.
I can’t win against them. I’m truly pinned down.
The powers of the Demon King, contrary to the Hero’s attributes.
Now, with the power of lies, the Magic Sword Horizon will not work.
With the power of ignorance, Bellin Grancia’s memory would be erased.
With the power of might, the diamond would shatter.
The being that seemed like the Demon King of Omniscience tried to strike me.
‘……’
In that moment, I realized something strange.
All Demon Kings have powers that oppose their title attributes.
The Heroine Pina, who was dear to me, had turned into a Demon God and obtained the power of envy.
The influence allowed her to interfere with me, defying world lines.
Then, what power do I hold now?
“…I get it now.”
I gripped the hilt of the Magic Sword Horizon tightly.
From the very start, that Demon God referred to me as a Demon King.
With a clunk, it reverberated as the surroundings began to engulf in darkness.
The power of Pure Thought.
Contrary to conviction, the ability to erase what people think.
Just like when I first confronted the Magic Hat.
“What, what?! The bullet of ignorance shot at Bellin Grancia disappeared…?”
I faced the Magic Hat amidst the black space.
Like the saying goes, “It’s bad to get too close to the dark.”
The extreme of darkness they talked about with Dennis and White Lily.
Not only stealing away the opponent’s light.
“Wait a minute, are you saying….”
“Yes, that theory. It’s the power of Pure Thought.”
A power to nullify an opponent’s attributes or even erase their powers.
“You will no longer be able to do anything.”
I firmly gripped the Magic Sword Horizon and dashed forward.
In this world, there’s no such thing as perfection.
“I can’t—I cannot lose like this! The Demon King cannot lose to the power of a mere Demon King?!”
The Magic Hat scattered cards into the air in shock.
It must have been flabbergasted, seeing its own powers failing to manifest.
The Light Demon King Kainel managed to penetrate the magic of Pina from his world.
In the end, perhaps Demon Kings and Heroes are merely hollow titles.
What matters is who the person truly is.
“I am the Demon God who shall conquer the Grand Route and rule all world lines!! How could I… in a place like this?!”
The Magic Hat pulled out the mechanized joker behind it. Still unwilling to give up?
Transforming into something resembling a gigantic cannon, it aimed at me, looking more pathetic than desperate.
“No matter how strong you are, I don’t care if you’re a Demon God or a Demon King.”
Swoosh!!
I began to slice through the Deus Ex Machina with my sword one after the other.
Just like when I defeated it before, I believed I could achieve this rather than giving up.
“In the end, that’s just a name.”
More than whether that guy is powerful.
My true feelings for Pina Grancia propelled my body into action.
“As long as it’s not the Grand Route, I won’t die!”
“If you won’t die, you should be contained here forever to fight.”
The Magic Hat tried to persuade me.
I glared at it fiercely, as if ready to kill.
Like slicing through radishes, the machinery cut apart effortlessly.
The powers had vanished, reduced to worthless scrap.
“How foolish. You know that if the Demon King dies, the powers will be released.”
“…Well, let’s see who dies first.”
The current Magic Hat couldn’t use the power of a Demon God.
If I simply slashed its neck, it would be it who would die, not me.
Just as I was about to slice through its neck,
“I forgot one thing, oh Demon King of Conviction.”
An ominous sign flashed before my eyes.
With a grin that seemed to sense victory, the Magic Hat stretched its mouth wide.
“You see, I’m quite good at deceiving others.”
Suddenly, it transformed into a fox beastman in a maid outfit.
“I have taken Pina Grancia hostage. See, I should have kept my maids close.”
And then, it spewed forth a vile proclamation from its lips.
