Chapter 86 – Are you worried?

“Looks like it’s succeeded?”

“Just ‘maybe?’ That won’t cut it, Lord Astaroth. We need to be certain.”

“No. That damned fly is just ignoring me! What am I supposed to do?”

If I’d known it would be like this, maybe I should have started with the usual string of curses to see if he was even listening.

Astaroth thought it, but it was practically impossible. Even sending these few words was a close call.

If she had started with insults, the most crucial part would have never even been delivered.

Breathless, on the verge of being cut off, she delivered the message in its simplest form.

The content itself, of course, was proposed by Deus and refined by Jarvis.

“Urgent support needed. Hit-and-run types. Re-open the path. Seeing possibilities.”

“…Really? You think that’ll do it? It’s not exactly my usual way of speaking.”

“That difference is exactly what will make them focus on urgency instead of suspicion.”

“Why? I told you, it’s not how I normally talk!”

It wasn’t Jarvis who answered Astaroth’s question, but one of the female students quietly observing them.

“Well… if I may, when things are this bad, people tend to prioritize immediate gains over slight oddities.”

“Hey! That might be how you humans work, but demons could be different!”

“They aren’t. Miss Nefertiti is right, Lord Astaroth.”

Lately, Jarvis had been agreeing that there wasn’t much difference between humans and demons. Sometimes, it seemed like humans were worse.

Perhaps the world inhabited by humans was the only place where demons could truly exist.

Anyway, back to the point.

“If the message gets through, they’ll move the way we want them to, one way or another.”

“But what if they don’t?”

“Oh, come on. Don’t think like that. Look, let’s think about it this way. If those demons don’t move right now, what happens to the place where you come from, Lord Astaroth?”

Nefertiti’s question gave Astaroth pause before she finally spoke.

“It’s screwed, plain and simple.”

“…Ahem. A rather crude way of saying it’s a disaster. Regardless, what if they move and that leads to the worst possible outcome?”

“That’s screwed too, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Both are doomed. So, assuming both scenarios lead to ruin, they’ll try to find the glimmer of hope. When they’re backed into a corner, that’s what everyone does.”

It still didn’t make sense. Why? What did being cornered have to do with making stupid decisions? Wouldn’t becoming more cautious and thoughtful be the more logical choice?

Deus, who appeared shortly after, provided the answer to Astaroth’s question.

He arrived and immediately said, “That wish you have. Let’s use it now,” dragging Astaroth away.

The “wish” being referred to was the right to demand Deus’s attention whenever she desired.

The one snag in the plan was that Astaroth, the person concerned, was completely unprepared.

“Hey! That’s not how it works! You’re supposed to do it when *I* say!”

“I’m doing you a favor by fitting it into my schedule. What’s the problem?”

“I’m not ready! You monstrous human! No! More monstrous than a monster!”

A demon shouting at a human, calling them worse than a monster—a truly absurd situation.

The two female students couldn’t laugh because it felt too close to home, and Jarvis couldn’t laugh either, fearing that one day it might become Astaroth’s honest sentiment.

Only Euryxia was beaming, saying, “Do your best, Lord Astaroth!”

Of course, from Astaroth’s perspective, it was more like “Ha ha! Go die!” with a smile.

“Hwaaack! Heeeeee!”

“If you think you’re going to die, tell me. I’ll go easy on you.”

Of course, a fight with Deus wasn’t something you could just call off with a simple “let’s stop.”

It was hell you could only escape when Deus himself was, perhaps, inclined to let you.

Whether Astaroth wanted to start it or not was irrelevant; after that, only Deus’s permission mattered.

“I think I’m going to die! I’m dying! Help me! I surrender!”

“Weren’t you staying here because you wanted another round with me?”

“You monster! That’s only after I’ve prepared perfectly! I can’t even resist when you suddenly do this when I haven’t done anything!”

“No. Even so–”

“Even so, nothing! You said to say something if I was going to die! I’m going to die! I can’t do it!”

Whether she died pushing harder, or died whining that she couldn’t anymore. If dying was the only option, she’d rather choose the slightly more hopeful path.

So Astaroth flopped to the floor screaming, “I can’t do it!” and Deus let out a sigh.

“This doesn’t even warm me up. No use. Jarvis!”

“Why me again? Please, I beg you. Deus-nim.”

“Blame your master. He’s too weak.”

“It’s just that Deus-nim is beyond the norm. Where else would you find a human who beats up demons like that?”

Stop arguing and just come here. Eventually, Jarvis was dragged away by Deus.

In the midst of it all, Jarvis glared resentfully, shouting, “Astaroth-nim. No, Astaroth. I curse you!!” But Astaroth was a demon, after all.

She immediately turned her head away, declaring, “Yeah. I’m alive. As long as it’s not me.”

“…What did I say? If it’s a path where we both go down, I look for the slightly hopeful bit.”

Nefertiti brought up the earlier event, and Astaroth understood instantly.

Then she was sure. Ah, these demon b*stards. They’re definitely going to reopen the path.

*

Yggdrasil, second semester. Nothing had changed from the first.

Gates still appeared outside the influence of the Sealstones, and monsters kept pouring out of them. And the Espers fulfilled their duties by hunting those monsters.

And recently, Deus had identified a problem.

‘The method isn’t definite yet, but really, if Jarvis succeeds in opening the door and we can go to Hell. If we get rid of all the demons, will the Gates stop appearing?’

If Gates stopped appearing, it meant monsters would no longer appear in this world.

If you only heard that much, you’d think peace was finally coming. But living and studying at Yggdrasil had taught him a few things.

First, the world now ran on byproducts from the monsters.

Even the Sealstones weren’t researched and made from things of this world, but from things beyond the Gate. Monster byproducts were pervasive in a great many fields.

Second, what would happen to the remaining Espers if the monsters were really gone?

The best case would be that the Esper abilities would disappear along with the Gates. But there was every possibility that wouldn’t happen.

And where would those Esper abilities, without duty or purpose, go? It was impossible to be certain.

‘But I can’t just leave the Gates open.’

This was a dilemma. Deus groaned and clutched his forehead.

That old geezer said that if your body was in good shape, you wouldn’t have to stress your mind! What a liar!

What is this! My body couldn’t be better, and I’m still struggling with my head! Kraaah!

Deus, groaning and agonizing, eventually decided to confide in those around him.

First to Luciel. And then to Nefertiti. And then to Yurishia.

“….”

“….”

And Luciel and Neferti’s initial reactions mirrored each other.

‘Wow. Seriously. Just what is our junior thinking?’

‘Amazing. He’s not worried about the fight itself, but the aftermath of winning.’

Any normal human would be fretting about crossing over into the demon homelands.

Wouldn’t they be consumed by the very fact that they have to fight until everything is over there?

Shouldn’t they be too preoccupied to worry like Deus, who’s thinking, ‘If we just wipe them all out, the gate and monsters might disappear.’

“Well, right now we don’t know anything for sure, senior.”

“If the monsters and the gate truly disappear, the gods might take away our powers too.”

Yurisia, on the other hand, seemed a little anxious. If her ability vanished, how would she ever keep up with Deus?

To that, Deus bolstered her, saying, ‘You can do plenty even without powers.’

Truthfully, she might *not* be able to do plenty if she lost her power, but he couldn’t very well respond like that T-b*stard, “Well, you’re screwed.”

“This is a disaster. A disaster.”

“…Um, Deus. Disaster or not, could you maybe let me go?”

Astaroth, collar clutched in Deus’s enormous hand, dangling in mid-air.

Another loss chalked up for today. Even with proper preparation this time, it was still a complete defeat.

“What’s the disaster?”

“It’s…something.”

“Ah. Saying it like that is making the demon in me boil. Tell me!”

He’s truly something. Deus even told Astaroth what he was worrying about.

“…You’re insane.”

And Astaroth was genuinely impressed.

“Do you not have things like defeat or a fair fight in that head of yours?”

“I was taught only to think about winning.”

Besides, he came into this world in a state where he couldn’t possibly lose.

Deus muttered the last part to himself, before setting down the demon he held.