"Uuuhhh!"
The sorrowful wail of Raphael echoed across the chamber.
"I am a messenger of the Light... and yet, to be struck by such a devil of a Warrior...!" Raphael complained.
"Psshhh. Do you want more of it?" Caron asked, cracking his knuckles.
"I-I said I would compensate you, didn't I? Why are you hitting me again? Grand Saintess Seria! Shouldn't you intervene?" Raphael asked.
"That has nothing to do with me," Seria replied coldly. "Don't drag me into this."
The angel who had suddenly descended, Raphael, had arrived with arrogance befitting a heavenly being. But now, she looked no different from a beggar tossed in the dirt. Her once spotless white robes were smeared with dust, and her radiant, holy wings hung bent and limp, as if broken.
Fortunately for her, Caron wasn't the kind of madman to actually snap an angel's wings within an hour of meeting her.
"Why would the Light choose a creature like you..." Raphael muttered weakly.
"'Creature like you?'" Caron repeated with a raised brow.
"...I mean, why the Light chose you as the Warrior, I cannot fathom—" Raphael continued casually, but was cut off.
"Use honorifics," Caron interrupted.
Violence really was terrifying. After enduring Caron's beating, which carried even the dark aura of a Demon King, Raphael had no choice but to bow her head and abandon any shred of dignity as an archangel.
Caron stared at her down, eyes gleaming as he said, "You know you started this, right? You swung first."
It was true. She had descended from the heavens and immediately attacked under the pretense of offering guidance.
But Raphael still looked aggrieved. She cried out, "That was only because you insulted me first!"
"And if someone insults you, you throw a spear? What kind of angel does that? Sounds more like a demon to me," Caron said flatly.
The truth was, her sudden descent had shocked him. But when she immediately began barking orders with a haughty tone, striking back had been nothing more than self-defense.
Caron let out a small sigh, his expression unimpressed. He thought, Not what I expected, but...
Their experiment to create a new demonic monster had failed, but instead, they had gained an angel. In the grand scheme of things, this was far better. The holy power radiating from Raphael easily surpassed even Seria's.
"So. The Light really sent you?" Caron asked.
"Yes," Raphael said, regaining some composure. "The Light wills for you to complete your task. Should you defeat the Void, the Light shall embrace this land."
There were many questions Caron wanted to hurl at the so-called god of Light—why he had been chosen, what the true purpose of it was—but those were personal curiosities. What mattered now was that someone with immense holy power had joined their side. In times like these, an extra ally was worth more than questions.
On top of that, Raphael's very presence would surely raise the morale of the soldiers of the Holy Kingdom.
Caron nodded slowly and shifted the subject. "Then tell me this—why did an angel get summoned in a facility of the Arcane Civilization?"
"Ah! That was because you created a holy vessel," Raphael explained.
"...A holy vessel?" Caron asked.
"Yes. Literally, a sacred body," Raphael replied.
She traced a pale hand down her flawless skin as she elaborated, "For divine beings who serve the Light, descending into the mortal world is not simple. To contain such vast holy power, a suitable body must be prepared."
She pointed toward the remains of the strange clay inside the shattered glass chamber.
Fortunately, the substance hadn't vanished. The splitting and multiplying properties of the former Disruption material seemed to remain, and it was already starting to grow again.
Caron smirked faintly and asked, "So, if we cultivate more of that vessel... We could summon more angels?"
But Raphael immediately shook her head and answered, "That is impossible."
"Why?" Caron asked.
"If you attempt that, the balance of the world will collapse. And if balance collapses, the Void will gain greater strength. The scales of balance must always be preserved," Raphael explained.
"Ah, so basically you joined us because, compared to the Void, we're the weaker side right now?" Caron asked.
"...Yes. You may put it that way," Raphael answered.
At least the so-called god wasn't entirely witless. Sending reinforcements at the right time was a smart move.
Caron still didn't know Raphael's exact combat power, but holy power was a natural counter to dark mana. With her, they could at least crush noble-class demons without much trouble.
After thinking for a moment, Caron said, "All right then. First things first—let's change your name."
Raphael's eyes widened and she snapped, "What nonsense is this?!"
"Unfortunate coincidence," Caron said smoothly. "My uncle's name is Raphael. Every time I call you that, it feels like I'm insulting him."
"That makes no sense whatsoever!" Raphael protested.
But Caron ignored her protests and continued on, "Rapha. From now on, your name is Rapha."
"...Excuse me?" Raphael, now Rapha, replied.
"Congratulations. You're Rapha now," Caron said.
"My name was bestowed by the Light itself!" Rapha cried.
"Seria," Caron called. "According to scripture, what's the hierarchy between a Warrior and the Archangel?"
Seria sighed and answered, "Though the ranking itself is meaningless... According to the holy text, the Warrior stands above all apostles. The Archangel is counted among them. So if you insist on hierarchy—"
"Oh. So I'm above her," Caron interrupted.
"Unfortunately, yes," Seria confirmed.
That settled it. Caron beamed at the angel and said, "You heard her."
"...Yes," Rapha muttered through clenched teeth.
"Good. Rapha, from now on your job is to study what we can do with that holy vessel," Caron said.
"Through the vessel, we could summon other holy creatures of the Light. For example, unicorns—" Rapha began, but couldn't finish her sentence.
"Wait, do you mean creatures created by the Light?" Seria asked, eyes widening.
"Yes, Grand Saintess," Rapha answered.
That was welcome news.
"If we shape vessels from the material, the Light will grant souls to those forms," Rapha explained.
"And who does the shaping?" Caron asked.
"That would be..." Rapha faltered, scanning the room in discomfort.
Caron chuckled and said, "Good. Then I hereby appoint you as head of this research facility. Make sure those vessels get made properly. Shiker, could you help her for the time being?"
Shiker laughed with interest and nodded, then said, "I was curious myself. I don't know how much I can contribute, but I'll fully cooperate. Holy creatures, born from holy power—hmm, fascinating indeed."
"I'll be counting on you," Caron said.
And so, from that moment on, an archangel and the creations of Light itself became part of the expedition.
***
After Raphael and the other new figures joined, Dinatrius Fortress was given a new name. It was now the Fortress of Liberation. It was the first stronghold claimed by Caron—who had already earned the epithet of the Demon King of Liberation—so the name spread naturally.
With its security secured, the expedition moved their forward base from the makeshift coastal headquarters into the fortress. A walled stronghold was far easier to defend than an exposed stretch of beach.
Time passed, and before long, a full month went by since the landing. In that short span, the Fortress of Liberation had changed dramatically.
"Warriors of the expedition, please take some food while you work!"
"Ah, thank you."
"We're recruiting volunteers to help with the harbor construction!"
The first to change were the demon slaves. Under Cobler's deft hand, they grew close to the expedition members with surprising speed and soon became invaluable laborers.
The key was communication. The mages noticed that the demon tongue shared similarities with the Imperial language, and in no time, they developed a workable translation spell.
Freed from slavery, these demons were given a new name, the Liberated.
And after tasting freedom for the first time, they joined the expedition's efforts willingly. Thanks to them, construction of the docks and defensive works advanced at a remarkable pace.
"It's almost too peaceful. That's the real problem," Caron murmured. He stood atop the tall spire at the center of the lord's keep, gazing down at the fortress as it swiftly transformed into a citadel.
Beside him, Leo chewed noisily on a strip of jerky, then said, "Careful what you say. What if the demons actually come storming in after you tempt fate?"
"By now, that slothful bastard must've realized we've landed," Caron said. "But it's too quiet. Don't you think so?"
"They say the Demon Queen of Lust is on the move. Maybe Sloth is too distracted by that war to deal with us," Leo suggested.
"Hmm." Caron plucked a piece of jerky from Leo's hand and popped it into his own mouth, chewing thoughtfully.
It was quiet. Far too quiet. When they first stepped into the Demon Realm, he had expected endless battles—but reality had strayed from his predictions.
"When did you say the main host was arriving?" Caron asked.
"In two weeks," Leo answered.
"Then we're just about ready," Caron said.
The harbor was nearly complete, temporary lodgings for the main force were almost finished, and the fortress itself was large enough to house them all. Imperial mages from the Magic Tower inscribed fresh wards and barrier circles onto the walls day and night, bolstering its defenses.
"If they don't make the first move, maybe we should hit them first," Caron muttered, almost to himself.
If the Demon King of Lust was keeping Sloth occupied, then this was an opportunity. Striking the enemy's rear could be effective.
And if we bring in the airships to seize nearby territories... Caron thought.
They would gain more laborers and bind more demon nobles into servitude, and each captured noble would bring a fresh supply of cannon fodder. With that, the expedition's survival rate would rise sharply.
"What do you think, Leo?" Caron asked casually.
Leo shrugged and replied, "I guess the best defense is a good offense, right? If the angle looks good, maybe we should jab at them."
"We've gathered enough intel. Even Sir Zerath was leaning in favor," Caron said.
To secure this region completely, every threat had to be eliminated. Caron's primary target was the Demon King of Sloth. Once he severed that head, he intended to absorb Sloth's authority as well. With that power, the entire region would fall under the expedition's dominion.
I haven't reached 9-Star yet, Caron thought.
But with all of the expedition's strength combined, taking down a Demon King didn't seem impossible. Although he would have to break the noble guardians first.
Just then, the door to the spire rooftop creaked open.
Screeeech!
Zerath stepped out, a paper crammed with notes in hand.
"The scouts have spotted enemy forces," he announced. "A large host is gathering. It seems the Demon King of Sloth is finally making his move."
"Is that so?" Caron asked.
"Demon nobles, demons, demonic monsters, and even several massive engines—presumably siege weapons—have been observed," Zerath reported.
Caron took the report and skimmed it. The enemy wasn't far. According to the scouts, they would reach the fortress in one day.
"So this will be our last trial before the main army arrives," Caron said with a grin. "Perfect. I was starting to get bored. Did they see the Demon King himself? No... If Sloth were present, the scouts wouldn't have lived to report."
It seemed the greedy nobles were trying to claim glory for themselves. After all, the Demon King of Sloth had surely placed a heavy bounty on Caron's head.
Caron tapped his fingers against the windowpane and nodded, then said, "How should we defend?"
"The fortifications are sufficient," Zerath replied. "If we hold the walls, we can repel them with minimal casualties. The Magic Tower's airships will also provide fire support."
There was no reason to abandon the natural advantage of defense. Holding the fortress was the obvious choice.
Still, the mention of siege engines nagged at Caron. Strange wheels, bizarre turrets... The descriptions didn't match anything he knew.
The demons were perhaps reckless, but they weren't stupid. They wouldn't bring such machines without confidence.
"Sir Zerath—" Caron began.
"I grant permission," Zerath interrupted, raising a hand.
"...I haven't even said anything yet," Caron said.
"You want to test the new forces, don't you?" Zerath asked calmly. "A mobile war could work well. If we strike before they reach the fortress and inflict losses, our chances of victory rise even further. You have my leave. But use only the vassals you have claimed."
"Much obliged," Caron replied.
It was the perfect chance to field-test their new weapons.
Caron smiled faintly.
The time had come to show the demons a glimpse of hell.