The Principle of a Philosopher by Eternal Fool “Asley”

Chapter 414: Another Step Closer

~~ Early Morning, Thirtieth Day of the Seventh Month, Ninety-Sixth Year of the War Demon Calendar ~~

Dark clouds loomed over Regalia, the Royal Capital.

The once vibrant metropolis no longer existed, its streets and houses devoid of human life.

The residents of the Regalia had been assaulted by the intense arcane energy pressure resulting from the Devil King’s resurrection — and Asley’s zenith-leveled Magic Shields had protected them, providing a temporary respite. However, with Lucifer absorbing Devil King Satan’s power, the effects of the arcane energy pressure were beginning to show among the people once again.

Without a doubt, this was due to the overwhelming arcane energy of the new Devil King, Lucifer — even being near him was dangerous for an ordinary person.

Lucifer had never attempted to break Asley’s Magic Shields — a strategic decision made with the long-term goal of keeping humans under control.

Regardless, those people no longer existed in this city — courtesy of the Resistance moving them away via a secret rescue operation.

The lightning-fast operation had taken place while Devil King Lucifer and Cleath attacked T’oued. Planned by Warren the Black Emperor, the Resistance had successfully exploited Lucifer’s scheme — and now, even Lucifer himself questioned how he had fallen into Warren’s trap.

~~Regalia Castle, Audience Chamber ~~

“……”

As Lucifer sat upon the throne, a lone figure knelt before him, trembling incessantly.

Cold sweat poured down their twisted, inhuman face.

Lucifer, the Devil King whose judgment was said to be inescapable, emitted a silent yet intense aura of arcane energy.

Cleath, one of the main executors of this operation, trembled with fear, his composure shattered, dreading the inevitable conversation with Lucifer.

“Hmm…”

The Devil King breathed — nothing more, nothing less. Yet with just that subtle sound, Cleath’s body immediately convulsed. Lucifer, on the other hand, merely gazed into the empty air.

Lucifer noticed Cleath’s trembling reaction in the corner of his eye.

“Why are you so frightened?”

He proceeded to ask, calmly and coldly.

“I-I have no excuses — this has been a disgraceful blunder on my part! The responsibility I bore was enormous, yet I have failed to deliver! I am prepared to face any punishment!”

Cleath’s expression showed no signs of composure as he pressed his forehead firmly against the floor while delivering his apology.

His breathing was heavy, and his focus was unsettled. Clenching his trembling lips, he could only anxiously await the next words from the terrifying figure sitting before him.

“The blame for this incident does not fall on you.”

“…!? …My King?”

Cleath let out a dumbfounded voice in response to Lucifer’s words. 

But then, as soon as he lifted his face, Cleath’s fear transformed into something he had never experienced before.

An intense arcane energy aura enveloped the Audience Chamber, Regalia Castle, Royal Capital of Regalia — the War Demon Nation, even. The ground quaked, and cracks and fissures appeared on the floors and walls of Regalia Castle.

It was a display of Lucifer’s pure wrath; Cleath trembled while prostrating himself like a frightened turtle seeking protection.

“……!”

Deafening roars, blunt impacts, and high-pitched screeches echoed through the castle. 

Lucifer’s subordinates, recognizing the anomaly, gathered around.

“W-what in the world…!?”

Idïa blurted out as she saw the distorted form of Devil King Lucifer, shrouded in tremendous arcane energy and warping like a mirage.

“……!”

Leon, who had appeared accompanying Idïa, fell to his knees on the quaking floor.

“…Magnificent.”

Billy, rushing over after the others, displayed a look of admiration and eagerly observed Lucifer’s actions.

Cleath’s palpitations intensified as he cowered before Lucifer’s silent yet intense wrath. 

Then, Lucifer looked up at the ceiling of Regalia Castle.

“…!!”

As if unleashing all of his wrath, Lucifer’s arcane energy blast pierced through the castle and the skies above. It possessed such tremendous power and density that even the debris that should have fallen was reduced to nothing. 

Silence once again filled the blown-open audience chamber. 

And Lucifer, who had silently vented his wrath, reverted to his usual expression.

“Now then, it is time we sent out some invitations.”

“…?”

Lucifer muttered softly, audible only to the one nearest to him — Cleath, who did understand what the statement was supposed to mean. 

Nevertheless, Cleath immediately understood that the next thing Lucifer would do was issue an order.

“Cleath.”

“Y-yes, my King!”

“Prepare an army. Gather as many of the Devilkin as possible to join the frontlines at Regalia.”

“It shall be done!”

Next, Lucifer turned his gaze towards Idïa and Leon.

“Idïa.”

“Yes, my King!”

“Monsters will gather here, attracted by the surge of arcane energy I have unleashed. Put them in order — lead them alongside Leon. Feel free to eliminate any insolence.”

“Your wish is our command!”

Finally, Lucifer directed his attention to Billy.

“Billy.”

“Anything you command, my King…”

“Hasten the completion of the Hell Emperor — and at the same time, focus on increasing the production of Alphas and Betas.”

“Immediately!”

The four of them vanished, embarking on their assigned tasks. 

Lucifer settled into his throne, gazing at the dark clouds above. Then, he cracked a faint smile at the empty air.

“I will bring about despair that devours all — and set a state befitting those foolish jesters. The warriors of light yearn to defeat the Devil King… But in order to even face me, they must first get past my army. Hehehe… before then, those close to them — be it loved ones or those who look on at them with envious eyes — shall be destroyed, swallowed whole by my kind. Asley, you will swim with the weight of your burdens, struggling to keep yourself from drowning… and when you reach the shore that is the final battlefield, only you will remain…”

The Devil King’s low, echoing laughter gradually grew louder, resounding throughout Regalia.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

“Hey, Hornel. Why are you so angry?”

Asley asked, wondering why Hornel was shaking with apparent frustration in the courtyard of the magic classroom.

“What, do I look angry to you?”

“I mean, what else could it be?”

“Yeah, right, I AM angry! What were you doing, hanging out with all those girls at a time like this!?”

Hornel pointed a finger at Asley, his words lashing out. 

Asley, resting his chin on his hand, looked up at the sky, trying to recall the memories that Hornel was referencing.

“I dunno what you’re– Ah! You mean when I was DRAGGED ALONG as Lina and her friends went on a shopping spree?”

“That’s right! How can they stay so carefree in such a dire situation?! Not just Lina — even Tifa, Fuyu, and Haruhana tagged along!”

“No, no, it’s not like I wanted that to happen, you know! You gotta understand — I’m a victim of this too!”

“What’s that even supposed to mean!?”

“I… might have said something wrong and upset Lina and the others. Then Pochi said something about going shopping with her to compensate for that… well, Fuyu and Tifa jumped on that as well, and Haruhana ended up dragging me around the shops in Eddo. You gotta believe me, man!”

“……”

“And really, why are combs and flower oils so damn expensive, anyway…?”

Lina, Tifa, and Fuyu, having been listening to the whole conversation from a distance, blushed and shrunk in embarrassment. 

Irene, who was near them, glared sharply at Asley.

However, the pressure of the resentful gazes from the wayward mages — especially the young men — was even stronger.

“And so it has been revealed that you are not only the hope of all humanity, but also the enemy of all young men. Great, just great.”

“…How and when the hell did that even happen?”

Asley tilted his head in confusion, and Hornel only directed a cold stare at him. 

Asley tried tilting his head to the other side, but then Hornel turned his back on him.

“Anyway, I didn’t come here to talk about… whatever that was. What I want is the Ultimate Limit — come on, teach me.”

Asley, while unable to understand what was happening to him, shifted his attention to what actually mattered — it was time for him to teach the workings of the Ultimate Limit, a technique highly sought after by mages everywhere.

It was not just Hornel here today; many mages had gathered around just to learn it. There was no way he could avoid teaching it. Irene, Warren, and even Natsu were here as well. 

Aware of everyone’s anticipating gazes, Asley coughed once to conceal his embarrassment.

“…Well, let’s give it a try, then. But you must remember: don’t use it willy-nilly. It’s an emergency measure for when your life is in danger. If you have about 20,000 MP, you’ll barely have a minute and a half to work with.”

Tension spread across everyone’s faces.

“Rise, Magic Shift!”

In an instant, a massive Spell Circle formed beneath Asley, covering the entire magic classroom venue. With this, Asley intended to use his own arcane energy as an energy tank for all the mages present.

“Rise, Giving Magic!”

And with the invocation of the continuous effect spell, he could prevent the depletion of his own arcane energy reserves.

“Now, let’s start with that group over there.”

The time for the decisive battle was drawing near.

Lucifer’s army was steadily increasing in strength, foreshadowing an unprecedented war. On the other hand, the Resistance — composed of all of humanity, each with their own roles — was beginning to take another step closer to restoring peace. 

No matter how treacherous the path ahead might be, humanity could not afford to give up. Those who had lived the longest, endured and struggled the most, could never be prevented from setting their sights on a better future.

Indeed, life would always find a way to move forward…

…And so would Asley the Eternal Fool.