The price of sin always comes back.
It was something her master had always lectured her about.
But Juda had never paid much attention to it.
After all, if she could reach her goal, did it really matter what she had to do to get there?
However, at this moment, Juda had no choice but to admit it.
Her master’s words had never been wrong.
As she looked at the figure standing before her, she had to accept the truth.
“S… S-Sensei… h-how… how is this possible…”
“Shh.”
Mari lightly raised a hand to cover Juda’s trembling lips.
It was a familiar gesture, the same as always.
And yet, there was something profoundly unsettling about this moment.
Juda instinctively shut her mouth.
“You’re being noisy. That’s not like you, Juda. Try to calm yourself.”
Mari spoke with a smile.
Her voice was gentle, almost like soothing a baby…
But Juda knew.
As a disciple who had spent a lifetime under her master, she knew better than anyone.
Though Mari’s lips curled into a smile, her eyes were void of any warmth.
That expression…
Juda had seen it before.
Long ago, on the battlefield, after one of Mari’s closest companions—one of her disciples—had been slain.
It was the same look she had given the demons responsible.
Shortly after, those demons had died screaming, their limbs torn apart while they howled in agony.
Even Juda, who had stood by her master’s side back then, had been paralyzed with fear at the sheer brutality of it.
And now…
That same face was directed at her.
Not at a demon, not at an enemy on the battlefield—
At her.
And worse…
This time, Mari bore the features of a demon herself.
A deep, paralyzing chill ran through Juda’s veins, freezing her heart in place.
‘A-Am I… going to die now? At my master’s hands…?’
Drowning in pure terror, Juda desperately tried to regain control of her thoughts.
That memory from just moments ago was horrifying, but at the same time, it also showed her a possibility.
‘Y-Yeah… but still, my master is my master… I-If I play this right…’
The Mari she knew had always been deeply compassionate and endlessly forgiving.
Even when the Empire persecuted and slandered her, she remained unwavering in her loyalty.
Of course, Juda had always laughed at her master’s foolishness behind her back, and in pursuit of her own success, she had personally driven the knife into her back.
But right now, she had no choice but to rely on Mari’s so-called mercy.
Even if, someday, she would betray her again.
“…I-I’m sorry, Master! I… I was wrong!”
Juda threw herself to the ground with all her strength.
Kneeling, she pressed her forehead to the floor so hard that she could feel the skin breaking and blood seeping out.
With desperate sincerity, she cried out:
“I must have lost my mind! I… I was blinded by that filthy Emperor’s offer to make me the head of the Magic Tower! I lost my senses! No matter how much I wanted power, I should never have betrayed you—!”
“Hmm…”
Juda’s frantic apology hung in the air.
Mari gave no clear reaction.
Seeing this, Juda bowed even lower, her voice growing more frantic.
“I was wrong, Master! This foolish disciple has committed an unforgivable sin! Please, just once… Just give me one more chance! I swear, I’ll never betray you again!”
Of course, the moment she had an opportunity, she would stab Mari in the back all over again.
But her true intentions didn’t matter right now.
All that mattered was survival.
So, she continued to pour out her desperate pleas, spouting empty words of regret.
Then.
Mari, who had been watching her, slowly reached out and began to stroke Juda’s head.
“! …M-Master?”
“Don’t be so tense. I am your master, after all.”
“Ah…”
A voice filled with what seemed to be kindness.
A glimmer of hope sparked within Juda’s heart.
Even though Mari had turned into a demon, she still seemed to have that same soft-hearted nature.
If that was the case, if she played her cards right, she might just be able to talk her way out of this.
‘Heh… So even after becoming one of those filthy demons, she’s still the same pathetic pushover. No wonder she kept getting betrayed. This is perfect. I just need to pretend to grovel a little longer, wait for the right moment, and then take her head as a trophy—’
CRACK.
“…Huh?”
A sickening sound suddenly rang in her ears.
A grotesque, bone-snapping sound echoed in the air.
For a brief moment, Juda felt confusion, a strange sense of something being horribly wrong.
Then.
As the delayed sensation finally caught up to her.
“A… Ah… AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”
A scream tore from her throat as she collapsed onto the ground, writhing in agony.
Through tear-blurred vision, her bloodshot eyes darted to the side.
There, on the ground.
A severed limb twitched, still convulsing as if it were alive, blood gushing from the stump.
It was…
Her arm.
“H-Hngh… Ugh… M-Master… W-What… W-What is… this…?! GGGHHAAAHHH!!!”
Before she could even finish her sentence.
Another agonized scream erupted from her lips.
Unable to speak any further, she convulsed, writhing in unbearable pain.
And standing above her.
Mari.
With that same terrifying smile, she spoke in a chilling voice.
“Haven’t I always told you? The price of sin always returns. Since those were my words, of course, I must uphold them. It is only right… for a master to educate her beloved disciple.”
“A…Ah…Ahhh….”
Mari slowly reached out toward her again.
The movement was slow.
Horrifyingly slow.
Watching her master’s hand extend toward her, drenched in her own blood, Juda began to sob in pure despair.
“Don’t worry too much. Even though I look like this now… surely, you don’t think I would kill you, do you?”
Words that were anything but reassuring.
Moments later, Juda’s cries of pain filled the air once more, unceasing and endless.
Elsewhere.
“So… a total war.”
“Yes, Great Demon King.”
Before him sat Great Demon King Kaya.
She no longer bothered to hide her face, sitting openly and confidently.
Looking at her, I spoke in a serious tone.
“As you’ve read in the reports, the Empire’s main forces have been annihilated.
On top of that, even their so-called Hero has bowed before us.
I firmly believe that now is the moment to end this tiresome war once and for all.”
A war.
In the original timeline, the war should have lasted for several more years.
And in the end, the Demon Nation was always fated to lose.
But now, the situation was entirely different.
As I had told the Great Demon King, at this moment, the power gap between us and the Leaf Empire had reached its greatest in history.
Our armies were stronger than ever.
But more than that.
Now that both the Hero and the Holy Sword had fallen into our hands, this was the perfect opportunity to end everything.
The so-called “Empire.”
And all the disasters that were meant to come after it.
Hearing my plea, the Great Demon King smiled deeply and spoke.
“I believe you are correct. Without a doubt, now is the perfect time to put an end to this tiresome war.”
“Ah!”
“As Great Demon King, I hereby give my command. All Four Great Demon Lords shall mobilize their full forces.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
A declaration as firm as stone.
Unlike in the past, when Adolf constantly interfered and caused delays, she had now given her approval with remarkable ease.
Feeling genuine joy, I bowed my head deeply in gratitude.
Later, after Kesar had left…
As soon as he was gone, the Great Demon King, who had maintained a composed expression all this time, could no longer hold back the grin creeping across her lips.
“I had my hopes, but I never expected such a perfect opportunity to come knocking at my door.”
She had already received a similar proposal from Mari.
Back then, she had told Mari that she would “consider it” before giving an answer.
But in truth, she had already finished her calculations the moment Mari made the request.
The greatest enemy of the Demon Army, the Hero, had fallen.
Not only that.
She now knelt before Mari as her subordinate.
At a glance, this could seem like a dangerous situation.
And in reality, it was a potential risk.
But the Great Demon King wasn’t particularly worried.
She had a personal fondness for Mari.
But more importantly.
If she launched an all-out war now, the one who stood to gain the most in the end was her.
If Kesar’s plan succeeded and the Leaf Empire was destroyed, that would be the ideal outcome.
But even if the plan failed.
If all Four Great Demon Lords exhausted their forces in a full-scale war, their power would inevitably be greatly weakened.
For the Demon Nation as a whole, this would mean a loss of national strength.
But for the Great Demon King…
It meant the removal of all potential threats to her rule.
Though she had purged Adolf, who had once called for Kesar’s removal, the Great Demon King had not forgotten his warning.
A subordinate’s strength must never surpass that of their ruler.
And with that in mind, once this war was over, her own power would undoubtedly rise even further.
“Now then… with the major affairs settled, it’s time for me to make my own preparations.”
While this war was deeply tied to national interests and political maneuvering, from a broader perspective, it was still just another event.
An event that would determine whether that filthy Leaf Empire would be crushed for good.
And naturally, she had to participate.
After all.
Wouldn’t it be more fun to enjoy this alongside a friend?