Dungeon Defense (WN)

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I arrived at the Habsburg imperial palace through teleportation magic.

The Demon Lords gathered at the palace square with a tumultuous atmosphere looming over them. The moonlight was exceptionally bright on this night, with clouds occasionally scattering a gentle violet haze.

Among them was a Demon Lord who was still in their undergarments. They had rushed out urgently without any care for their attire after they heard the news that Paimon and I were attacked. That’s right, it was Sitri. Even from a distance, it was apparent that she was maintaining a foreboding silence.

This unease hung over the entire square like a thick fog. Regardless of faction—Mountain, Plains, or Neutral—all eyes were silently fixed on us.

“…….”

I walked forward.

It felt like a heavy layer of fog had latched itself to my ankles. With each step I took, rather than pulling myself out of the fog, it felt like I was sinking further into it as it reached up to my calves.

I passed through the main gate, adorned with a golden rim, and walked straight toward the square. It was a peculiar sight. Occasionally, the rhythm of my steps seemed to synchronize with the alternation of lights in the night sky. Moonlight intermittently spilled at my feet, only to be obscured again by passing clouds.

Someone let out a sound. Or maybe it was a scream. As I drew closer, the Demon Lords realized that I wasn’t walking alone and that I was carrying someone in my arms.

A maiden whose hair was redder than roses.

The Demon Lords gasped.

“Impossible…….”

“My Gods.”

Some covered their mouths in absolute shock while others stared right at me. The night clouds rolled away, allowing the moonlight to fall upon the square. Thanks to this, the other Demon Lords were able to observe us more clearly. 

Paimon was a bloody mess. Her pale face was dirtied by the blood that had flowed out from her mouth. My lips and left cheek were also covered in her blood.

I carefully placed Paimon down at the center of the square before standing up to look around with my back straight.

“No……this can’t be. This is a lie…….”

Sitri crumbled to the floor. The other Demon Lords from the Mountain Faction did what they could to support Sitri’s body. With both her arms being supported by them, Sitri muttered “This is a lie……” over and over again like a broken music box.

That’s right, Sitri.

It was me.

I killed this woman.

I made this woman misunderstand, exploited her beliefs, manipulated and distorted the truth, and promised her the greatest happiness, only to snatch that happiness away with my own hands.

“……My dear comrades.”

This woman’s name was Paimon.

“Just thirty minutes ago, our most beloved and honorable maiden breathed her last. She became a lifeless corpse right here within my embrace.”

I could clearly remember the words she said to me. While my words were directed towards the Demon Lords, my mind was preoccupied with Paimon.

– I believe that we must call Rank 71 Demon Lord Dantalian to account before we begin the meeting and the ball.

– Dantalian struck Andromalius to death without any hesitation. This lady cannot help but express her doubts. Is he truly a Demon Lord like us? How could another Demon Lord kill another Demon Lord with such ease?

– There is another thing this lady wishes to question Dantalian about!

Our first meeting was practically the worst.

We knew nothing about each other.

“The traitors……were eight of the archdukes. The mastermind was the Utpala Archduke. These traitors were planning to imprison Paimon and me to force a Walpurgis Night. They intended to use us as hostages in order to establish slavery as an irreversible system. That was the motive behind the Utpala Archduke’s scheme……. Those damn sons of bitches!”

I bit into my lips as I shouted in rage, blood now pouring down from my torn skin. I could pull off this level of acting with my eyes closed now. I didn’t have to rely on my skill anymore.

– Do you have a handkerchief?

– Please carry around a handkerchief from now on. That is the refined duty of a gentleman.

That is how much time had passed.

In every trial I’ve faced, you were inevitably involved. It was because of you that I almost ended up in prison during that fateful Walpurgis Night and nearly fell to my demise during the Crescent Alliance expedition.

“……Seven of the archdukes sided with us, and ultimately, there was a fierce struggle among the archdukes. Initially, we had the upper hand. We succeeded in driving out the traitors. However, their remnants were resilient, so our allies pursued them to eliminate them for good. And……in the absence of most our allies…….”

I choked on my words and I pursed my lips several times. My words melded together into a messy clump due to the sorrow in my tone. This was all deliberate. I knew I was giving a flawless performance. My expression vividly displayed anger, sorrow, and shock.

While I was busy acting solely for my own sake, Paimon, you were different.

– How foolish have we Demon Lords been? We thought we were acting for the sake of demonkind, that we were fighting for them. And yet, Demon Lords were not the ones who were actually dying.

– Such hypocrisy and deceit. This hypocrisy and deceit will not end even if the continent is conquered. Rather, they will burn even stronger and singe the human world, the demon world, and eventually, the entire world to the ground.

You weren’t a hypocrite who abandoned your kin to love only humans, nor were you a dogmatist who turned away from what truly was right due to the limitations of being a Demon Lord. You weren’t a coward who failed to translate your thoughts into actions.

– Did you know? This was when Barbatos and this lady were still friends.

– During those times, we would often joke around. In the rare chance, although it sounds completely ridiculous, in the rare chance that we fall for a man, what sort of person would that man be?

– ……Please close your eyes.

To me, you were the embodiment of virtue.

Therefore, as the person who killed you, I must be an inexcusable villain.

“Paimon…… Paimon died trying to protect me!”

I cried out.

“The assassin ran straight to me. I could not do anything as I stood in place foolishly……. At that moment, Paimon embraced me, and the assassin……stabbed her back……over and over again…….”

I contorted my face. There was only one reason why I was recalling my memories with Paimon. It was to drag out genuine emotions from my heart. I wasn’t trying to cherish my memory of her. I was trying to leverage those memories.

“Over and over again! I could feel the sensation of the blade piercing into her! Each time the assassin swung their arm, Paimon’s body would sink further and further! I could feel it…… I felt it in its entirety……but I couldn’t do anything!”

To formulate the perfect lie.

“Paimon didn’t release me from her embrace……. She held on to me with both arms until the end…… Shielding me……even as she coughed up blood, and that blood covered my face……. Yet, Paimon continued to……until the very end…….”

I wailed like a wounded animal.

No more words were necessary. I let out my emotion in its entirety. The night air reverberated. I covered my face with my hands and clawed at my skin with my nails while releasing a bloodcurdling cry. The other Demon Lords were pressured by my anger.

A single truth was being created here.

“For vengeance……!”

Between my cries and wails, I spat out my words.

“For, merciless, vengeance! Every……last one of them……!”

I was now the only person in the world who knew of Paimon’s true nature.

If I dye her in lies, then they would remain the truth since there is no one around who can amend or correct those lies. Therefore, I have unlimited responsibility over the woman named Paimon.

“Destroy and crush!”

In order to make any excuse impossible.

To place no fault on Paimon so that she has no responsibilities to bear. I’ve looted and violated everything she has and I now own her ending.

Therefore.

Without even a single point of blurriness.

Without even the slightest hesitation.

Without wavering, regret, doubt, or repentance.

“Please avenge her……!”

I killed Paimon.

“Bestow death upon the traitors with the most treacherous and foul means!”

I am the one who killed Paimon.

An irreparable truth could be driven into the world as a nail.

I got down on my knees.

I then brought my head down to the ground with an audible thud.

“Please……I ask of you……my comrades. I am aware that I am of great fault as well. However, for vengeance……I will offer my all for vengeance……I beg of you.”

Thud, thud, I slammed my forehead on the ground several times.

Only the dull sound of my head hitting the ground echoed throughout the darkened world. Blood flowed as my skin tore. I was slamming my skull against the ground like I was trying to make a death mask with the ground. It felt like I was bringing down a hammer.

At that moment, I felt someone’s embrace.

Warm and soft hands wrapped around my ears.

“It’s okay.”

I raised my heavy head. I could no longer open my right eye because of the blood that had flowed down my forehead, making me look forward with my hazy left eye.

Sitri was standing there with a smile.

Although it was trembling as if it could collapse at any moment, it was undeniably a smile.

“It’s okay, Dantalian. It’s not your fault.”

“…….”

“Yeah, it’s not your fault……so everything will be okay. Everything.”

Sitri pressed her cheek against my forehead. Something that wasn’t blood flowed down my face. It was Sitri’s tears. The tears flowing from Sitri trailed down my face, washed away the blood, and slowly trickled down my jawline.

A liquid that consisted of my blood, Paimon’s blood, and Sitri’s tears, quietly dripped to the ground.

“It’ll be okay…… Mhm, it’ll be alright…….”

The person who should’ve been grieving more than anyone else here was comforting me while desperately holding back her sorrow. Sitri probably hasn’t realized this yet, but now that Paimon is gone, her actions could be considered as representing the entire Mountain Faction.

Therefore.

My acting ended up being successful again.

“It is my fault…… If I were not there…… If I did not exist, Paimon would be…….”

“No. It’s okay.”

“Paimon would be…….”

I let out tears while in Sitri’s embrace.

Until now, I have never displayed this level of intense emotions before the other Demon Lords. I would always put on a cold, calm, and occasionally mocking demeanor. But now I was crying like a child. This unexpectedness will most likely make my performance appear more genuine.

I’m not sure how long I cried.

At a certain point, I had passed out.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a bedroom. Daisy was seated next to the bed nursing me. It was bright outside the window, meaning that at least the night had passed.

I turned to look at Daisy emotionlessly. Daisy also responded in kind with an emotionless face as she opened her mouth.

“It has been two days since you lost consciousness, Father. Yesterday, a Crescent Alliance was rallied and they have departed for the demon world. The supreme commander is Demon Lord Sitri.”

“…….”

I closed my eyes and nodded.

It was this easy to deceive the world.

This easy.

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. Man, I feel bad for Sitri the most in this situation. She doesn’t deserve this despair.

Side note, I’ve been pretty exhausted lately. I feel like I probably have a good idea why. Work has just been grueling, and I’ve been taking naps through my lunches so I haven’t had much time to translate. I seriously need to take a breather or something and recharge. BUT, I don’t want to do it now considering what’s happening in the story. I’ll give it a few more chapters before maybe taking like a week break to regain my footing.

In any case, happy Lunar New Year. I gotta go meet my relatives later today. Woohoo. See you guys in the next chapter.

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