Zegart had been working on countermeasures ever since Freed became the new Demon King.

　He is indeed strong.
　In terms of simple magic power and status, he's the strongest Demon King of all time.

　If you face him head-on, even Zegart will surely be killed.

But there's still room to maneuver.

　Tweeting Beast Emperor.

　From the records of his battles in the human world, we know that he will be weakened by the Demon King Sword Piece when 'certain conditions' are met.
　If we can use that, we also have a chance to win.

　I already have a good idea of what the 'certain conditions' are, and I've got the shards to activate them.

''However... even if we contain the Demon King, his entourage is tough enough.

　Zegert let out a huff of air.

'There will be no final victory unless we cut through it.
Yes, sir.

　The Tsukuyomi at the side nodded.

''Even if we were able to seal off the Demon King, if we take on Regal, Judas, or even Stella, who has awakened to new powers, at the same time, we would indeed have little chance of winning.

　Zeggert is one of the strongest in the world of demons when it comes to direct combat, and Tsukuyomi is a top-tier homunculus that has both high hand-to-hand combat ability and magical power, and will continue to operate on a semi-permanent basis as long as its core is not destroyed.

　His one arm, Sigmund, also boasts an unparalleled ability to defy ordinary demons, even if they're of the Demon Commander's class.
　I'm not sure I've ever seen such a thing.
　But...

The highly resilient Olivier and the master of spirit magic, Feria, are also troublesome opponents.

　Tsukuyomi said.
　As expected, if they fought the entire Demon World army head-on, the odds were too slim.

''No, I'd call it reckless,''

　Zegart grinned.

'But if we can bring Regal into our camp and contain Judas - the rest of them are inferior to us in terms of direct combat ability.

　There was a clear vision in the Beast Emperor's eyes.

''As long as we don't make a mistake in standing around, we can win.''

　A vision of victory and beyond - a vision of his own demon king's crowning.



　Zegert went to one of the demon army chiefs, Regal.

"You want me to be one of you...?　It's also a rebellion against the Demon King.

　The Immortal King (Lord Undead) glares at Zegart.
　Although the expression of the Immortal King (Lord Undead) cannot be discerned due to his skull, his red eyes were clearly filled with anger.

''Even if it's a nonsense, I can't overlook it...!
It's not crap.

　Zegart tells him matter-of-factly.

"I value your power. Therefore, I have come to invite you.
You mean it? Then, as the head of the Demon Army, as the leader of the Demon Army, and the backbone of the Demon Army, I will have to kill you.

　Regal drew his sword.
　It was an oddly shaped sword that looked like it was made up of countless bones.

'Well, wait.'

　Zegert controlled it with one hand.

'Do you know who the Demon King is?'
What is it?
He's a human being.
...stupid.

　While saying this, there is a slight tremor in Regal's voice.
　Or is it that he is sensing something in his own way?
　Or is it that he saw Fried's true face under the mask?

'Of course, his body is a demon race. But his mentality is still human. To put it simply, it can be said that a human in the skin of a demon race rules this demon world.
...human beings, huh?
Yes, the one person you hate more than anything else in the world.

　Zegert and Regal's gazes intertwined in the hollow.

''The Demon King - the Demon King, the human...?''

　A slight flutter could be seen in the Immortal King's gaze.

　　　　*

Well, you know.

　I let out a small breath under my mask.

　Where do I start today?
　There's still a lot of routine work to do, but thanks to Stella's support, it doesn't take too much effort.

　Recently, I've gained a better understanding of the contents of the various petitions and other documents, and I've been exchanging opinions with Stella more often than not.
　As a king, have I grown up a little bit, have I?

　The warding, the formation of the demon army, the treatment of the wounded from the last battle, the reconstruction of the destroyed town, and many other issues.

　But I have reliable subordinates - my friends.
　I'll work together with Stella, the other demon warlords and the demon tribe to revitalize the demon world.

　On the way to the office with these thoughts in mind, on the way to the office...

Demon King!

　Stella ran up to me.
　She looked odd.

'There's an emergency.'

　Her face is pale.

'What's wrong, Stella?'

　I raised an eyebrow under my mask.

'The Beast Emperor (Gigantroa) Zegart and Alchemist General (Alchemist) Tsukuyomi, and the Fourth and Seventh Armies under their command...'

　Stella tells me.

　A sickening feeling runs down my spine.

"We've committed an insurrection.