“…Did you just say Dark Lord?” The man sitting on the throne looked down on Leonis.
This was the Human Integrated Empire’s current Emperor—Alzeus Shida O’ltriese.
Being looked down upon by a human king is infuriating…
Leonis tapped his staff against the floor and floated up, looking down on the throne from midair. The Senate Hall erupted into whispers.
“H-how did he do that?!”
“Don’t panic. His Holy Sword probably has the power to levitate.”
“What’s the royal guard doing?! Protect the sacred Wiseman Council!”
At one of the senator’s calls, knights with manifested Holy Swords charged into the hall and began attacking Leonis, who floated in midair. A sword of light, a flaming bow and arrow, a frozen spear—countless Holy Swords were flung at Leonis.
“—Fools.”
Leonis flapped his cape, producing a spherical forcefield barrier that blocked all the Holy Swords’ attacks.
“I-impossible!”
“The royal guard are all S-Rank Holy Swordsmen!”
The Senate entered a state of panic. One person alone remained composed, however. The Emperor remained in his throne, looking straight at Leonis.
…Oh. He’s quite the character, it seems. Leonis smiled under his mask.
For a human, his younger brother Alexios proved to have a great deal of courage, but looking at the Emperor now, it was clear why he was made king. Moreover, this man was Regina’s father, so he felt a certain degree of indebtedness to him.
I should treat him with some due respect…
Leonis gave a dignified bow in midair.
“Pardon my sudden visit, Emperor of Mankind. Normally, I’d have greeted you with a formal ambassador, but I believe we haven’t the luxury of time right now.”
Alzeus looked at Leonis silently for a moment, and then held up a hand, halting the royal guard.
“A wise decision,” said Leonis.
“—You called yourself a Dark Lord?” Alzeus parted his lips. “A Dark Lord is an enemy of mankind, poised to destroy the world. Am I correct in understanding that?”
“Heh, yes, indeed. You may take it as such, King of the Humans.” Leonis shrugged.
The legends of the Dark Lords were all but gone in this era, but the concept alone remained in their collective memory.
“In that case, he who calls himself Dark Lord, earlier you asked who we think defeated the Void Lord. What was the meaning of that?”
“It means exactly what it sounds like. You’re all too frail and weak, so I did away with that vile Void monster in your stead.”
Leonis’s remark made the Senate Hall fill with angered shouts.
“Impossible!”
“What is he saying?!”
“You would insult the power of the Holy Swords?”
Leonis charged his voice with mana. “Silence.”
This made the outraged senators freeze up, reducing them to dolls who could only flap their mouths open and closed, their voices muted.
“Indeed. I am a generous, patient Dark Lord. Knowing your limited imaginations would be hard-pressed to blindly believe me, I thought I would perform a demonstration. A demonic demonstration, if you will.”
“A demonstration?”
“Yes. Observe.”
Leonis pointed outside the hall’s window.
“Wh-what’s that?”
“A gigantic Void?!”
“I-it can’t be. Is that the monster that appeared in the Central Garden?!”
With a mighty bwoosh, a gigantic red dragon appeared in the skies, enveloped in crimson flames. It circled the Grand Cathedral, its wings spread. The sheer air pressure produced by its wing flaps uprooted trees in the garden and shattered the glass window panes.
“I would like for you to see for yourselves. This is one of my servants, who destroyed the Void Lord that appeared in the Central Garden—Super Violence Dragon.”
“Th-that’s…your servant? That monster?!”
“Impossible, it can’t be…”
“You think I’m lying? With but a single order, I can order it to turn this entire area into a sea of flames.”
Leonis snapped his fingers, and the red dragon circling above them roared and parted its jaws. With a deafening blast, it unleashed a beam of heat that evaporated a ruined building in a single moment.
The senators were stunned into silence once more.
“Are you more inclined to take me at my word now?” Leonis sneered coldly.
The whole room went quiet. Emperor Alzeus stared out of the window in utter disbelief.
Keh-heh-heh. I was right to ask Veira for this… Leonis chuckled to himself, satisfied with his plan having its intended effect.
He could have simply shown the power of his spells, but Veira was sighted fighting the Divine Dragon, and moreover, the size and roar of the dragon struck instinctual fear into the humans’ hearts. And thankfully, Veira was very much on board.
“If you don’t believe me, I can offer another demonic demonstration.”
“W-wait, Dark Lord… No, uh, Great One…” Alzeus shook his head violently. “What is it you seek? Is it…dominion over mankind?”
His jade eyes, so similar to Regina’s, looked right at him. Even when gripped by fear, he retained his Emperor’s mettle.
“No. Not for the time being, at least.” Leonis smiled and shook his head. “I have come here to strike a deal with you.”
“…What kind of deal?”
“Your enemies are the monsters you call Voids. They keep emerging and attacking, making them a nuisance for me, as well. So I suggest we join forces temporarily so we may destroy those foul beings.”
“…You want to fight alongside the Human Integrated Empire?”
“Yes, I suppose you could see it as that…,” Leonis replied.
“W-we can’t believe him!”
“Th-that’s right! How are we supposed to take some Dark Lord seriously?!”
“We have the Holy Swords given to us by the planet!”
The senators responded with outrage. But Alzeus calmly raised a hand, urging them to settle down.
“Ye who calls himself Dark Lord. What would you demand in return for fighting alongside us?”
“My recompense, then. Hmm. Yes, I would ask…for a ship.”
“…A ship?”
“Yes. I demand the Royal Family’s private ship, the Hyperion.”
“What?!” Alzeus was aghast by the request.
“The Hyperion is the symbol of the Empire’s—of mankind’s hope. To demand that…!”
“This is nonsense. Handing it over is unthinkable!”
“The Hyperion is the Holy Swordsmen’s pride!”
Once again, the senators began shouting.
“I do not mind either way.” Leonis sneered again. “One ship and the fate of all mankind. I suggest you carefully consider which is more valuable.”
“…Dark Lord.” Alzeus finally spoke. “Give us a moment to consider. We need time to discuss the matter.”
“…Very well. I am a patient Dark Lord, after all.”
Leonis nodded magnanimously and held up three fingers.
“—Three hours. I won’t wait longer than that. And, well… It’s not as if you have the leisure of time, either.”
✦ ✦ ✦
—After that, the senate began a fervent debate.
The senators who insisted saving the Fourth Assault Garden was their top priority argued with the Human Church who insisted only the Holy Swords should fight the Voids. Some theorized the Dark Lord who appeared before them may have been a Void Lord himself, but the footage of the red dragon he summoned fighting the gigantic Void Lord that attacked the Central Garden seemed to disprove that.
But above all else, the debate was meaningless. Because if he was their enemy, then mankind was already backed against the wall.
✦ ✦ ✦
And so three hours later, the senate concluded that intercepting the Fourth Assault Garden with the Empire’s current forces was impossible.
Thus, they decided to join forces with the Dark Lord Zol Vadis.