C273: CONCEIT

I am Eryngear of the most superior race in the world, the demons.
We have reached our peak by purging the human race and becoming the conqueror of the earth.

The mermaid race hides underwater, and the many other sub-races are just as insignificant.
But seriously? All of them should just bow to us and be dominated.

We demons are the strongest, the supreme rulers!
We look down on everyone and take everything as ours!
That is our standard from now on!

I, Eryngear, am still a young and inexperienced foot soldier of the Demon King’s Army, but I intend to be promoted and stand above all races in the future.
For that, I must cultivate my dignity as a conqueror by maintaining a high level of pride.

Oh!
You think so too, Syring, Yadurzak?
Since we are batchmates, we will be promoted around the same time. We’ll have supreme ruling power by the time we become members of the Heavenly Four.
We’ll turn all other races into slaves and rule over them!

You too, Ratel, Lokhongi, and Saza?

Hmm?
What are you talking about, Stark? Cooperation is important?
It’s okay if it’s among us, but there’s no need to go out of our way and do the same with other races. All they need is our domination.
You agree with him, Tecton and Zechst?
…I guess there are always oddballs like you.

Oh well, they’re only a minority.
They’ll be kicked out of the army, and the upper positions will be only for those who sympathize with me.

Hmph.
By doing so, we can realize an ideal world where we demons enslave all other races!
Now is the demons’ zenith!

Ohh, I can’t wait to get promoted!

After days of such exchanges, we were all summoned.

“The Demon King is afflicted by the trend of arrogance infecting the nation after we won the war.”

I turned pale at my superior’s words.
Isn’t that what I’ve been spreading around lately?

Is it over for us?
Are we going to be purged?
The people who kept spreading the same thing as I turned pale as well.

However, I also see Stark and the other weaklings’ faces, so maybe we won’t be purged.
Just a warning, they said?

“You’ll be taking an induction course.”

An induction course?

Our superior continues, “This is a direct order from the Demon King. You will go to a certain place to study, learn your place, and realize that we demons are just another race living in this world.”

I don’t really get it, but it all sounds pretty lame to me.
Isn’t it evident that we’ve become the superior race after winning the war?!
I take great pride in that fact!
A little scolding won’t change my mind!

I don’t know where they’re taking us for this induction course, but I’ll be there to show them what our race will be in the future and embody our age!

And the place where we arrived after teleporting…

…was a hell beyond imagination.

There’s a dragon, one of the World’s Two Greatest Calamities.

This is the first time I’ve seen one in person, but I could tell how strong she is from a glance.
I saw the way she breathed fire and thought just one hit could destroy the Demon Capital.
It was terrifying.

Many of my batchmates have already fainted.
The dragon’s aura was enough to rob them of their consciousness!

“What do you think? Isn’t this terrifying?” asks His Majesty. “You’ve been claiming that the demon race is the best, but do you think you can win against Lady Veil? You do realize she’s also one of the races living in this world, hm?”

No.
There’s no way we can beat a dragon.
The dragon alone was enough to make me feel faint, but something was even more shocking.

Someone is fighting on par with the dragon.
But what race is she from?
Her appearance is unlike any other sub-race I know.
Was there always a winged race?

What’s more, she’s completely blocking the dragon’s breath with some kind of barrier and shooting back with some type of powerful offensive magic!
On par!
They’re completely on par!

The only person who can fight a dragon on equal terms is a Lifeless King!

“Lady Horkosfon comes from a race of angels that were created by the celestial gods. It is said they have once destroyed the world,” explains the Demon King.

Ahhhh…
Hunh?!

“What do you think? Do you think the demons can win if they challenge either of two? If you think the answer is no, then you have no right to think that we are the best in the world, correct?”
“How are things going, Demon King?”
“Ahahaha! All of them are utterly stupefied, just as I had anticipated!”

There’s a human casually talking with the Demon King!
Huh? A human?
But I feel like there’s something different about him…
Anyway, he, a member of the defeated race, has got an awful lot of nerve making small talk with the Demon King!

Huh?
He’s the owner of this place?!
The dragon and the angel are this human’s followers?!

………………S-Sorry.

“But I think it’s better if we’re double sure; that’s why I thought of an idea.”
“Well, if it’s your idea, Lord Saint, it must be a good one.”

Wait!
We’ve already seen enough from the dragon and angel alone. What else is there?!

“The stage is all yours, Sensei.”
“Yup.”

Now, it’s a Lifeless King?!
The other Greatest Calamity?!

“Understandably, you’re surprised, but save it for what’s to come. I’ve asked Sensei to summon a certain someone.”

Huh? Who?
But I don’t think there’s anything more surprising than this!!!

“Would you kindly, Sensei?”
“Of course. Well then… Nya.”

As the Lifeless King swishes his wand around, accompanied by a random incantation, the dimension distorts, and miasma hangs in the air.
Is this perhaps summoning magic?!
The next thing I knew, a god had descended.

“This is Hades, God of the Underworld.”

Don’t introduce him so casually!
He’s the god we demons worship!

W-Wait, he summoned a god?!
Several expert demon summoners gathered together already have it rough just trying to summon a single elder spirit!
Won’t they give us a short break to tremble in fear from the Lifeless King first?!

“A few words, Your Mightiness…”
“Mm.”

That human guy is prompting the god!
What is with him, seriously?!

“Ehem, I has’t hath heard about thee. Thou art the cocky children thinking the demon race is the most wondrous in the world, art thee not?”

Why and how did he learn about that?

“As a god, I doth not approve of such behavior. All mortals who walk on the visage of this earth art brothers and sisters. Thee must not be establishing such hierarchy thoughtlessly.”

And then we’re being personally warned by the god himself!

How are we supposed to process all this information?!