Academy’s Weapon Replicator

Chapter 154 Hunger (2)

“… … !”

The moment he saw that, Baalzebub’s mental state changed.

Kugugu─

The statues in the temple stood up with their eyes shining. The falling corpses were forced to rise by the power of Baalzebub, adding a few minutes to their remaining lifespans and confronting Bael.

An army of demons, worshipped statues and corpses faced each other.

“… … I will eat you. Bael.”

Baalzebub said,

“That’s what it should be.”

Bael took up his stance, holding his sword.

The hand holding the sword feels unfamiliar. It’s been a while since I last fought with a sword.

What a terrible past.

How could I, a master of swordsmanship, be feared?

“When you can fit it all in your mouth.”

* * *

“Belphegor!”

When Belphegor reached Satan.

The four knights and the Seven Deadly Sins were still in a standoff.

“Lord Belphegor!”

One of the knights cried out, a little embarrassed.

“I’m sorry. I haven’t finished it yet.”

“It’s already difficult to finish off the Seven Deadly Sins.”

Belphegor spoke and took stock of the surroundings.

All four knights and the Seven Deadly Sins were tired, but none of them were seriously injured.

The Seven Deadly Sins, who had let their guard down after seeing Mamon’s death, were indeed strong. The four knights were having a hard time winning the match.

Asmodeus and Leviathan were superior to the four knights, but they felt inferior to Lucifer and Satan.

And Baalzebub stands frozen, glaring at Bael from a distance. It must be Pantemonium.

“What the hell are you doing!”

Satan shouted in a voice full of anger.

“Is this revenge for me being dropped into Nastrond?”

Belphegor laughed in vain at Satan’s words and shook his head.

“No, Satan. That’s not it. It’s not such a childish problem.”

“Childish problems… …?”

Satan’s eyes blazed.

Belphegor now seemed a bit like Satan. He looked like that a long time ago. He had the killing intent of having consumed all the fires of the world. This was the original Satan.

Belphegor said.

“Yeah, I don’t really have feelings for you in the first place. No matter how much you feel for me.”

“Nonsense! Then how can I understand your actions now? By helping Frontier, you are not only ruining the Demon Realm, but also the entire world!”

Satan cried out.

Belphegor is doing this because he wants revenge on Satan. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise.

But Belphegor said,

“It’s not you who’s causing me to do this.”

It really seemed as if there was no intention towards Satan in those eyes.

As expected, his eyes were terribly languid.

“You are one of the steps I am taking.”

“A process?”

“Yes, I’m not doing this out of spite.”

Oh, is there any malice? Because he is a devil. Belphegor laughs to himself while saying useless things.

In this desperate battlefield, I am the only one who is relaxed.

“Satan, you were playing with Loki’s body.”

“… … You have entered my castle.”

Satan guessed and lowered his eyes. Belphegor nodded.

“You wanted to use the ‘Weaving’ skill, right? The ability to duplicate any weapon you want. However, it’s a skill that requires conditions as it can only be made into an illusion. So you figured out a way that wouldn’t be an illusion.”

Satan is a demon who has accumulated a lot of knowledge over a long period of time. The amount of knowledge is enough to compete with Odin.

That’s why even the thoughts were similar.

If you can freely use the skill of weaving, you can create a weapon suitable for any enemy in this world who opposes you.

There is no perfect being in this world, not even God. Satan knew that very well.

A weapon that can be transformed instantly, and that strikes at the very weakness of existence. It is not that rare in this world. Even within Satan’s knowledge, all existences he knows are based on weakness.

So Satan coveted Loki’s weaving skills.

“That’s why I tried to use Loki’s body as well. Skills are actually closely related to the body and soul. If it were made into an illusion, I thought the body could replace that illusion. It’s a truly devilish idea.”

Whether devil, human or god.

Everything in this world maintains its form of existence. It goes without saying. It is impossible to live while destroying one’s own body in any way.

So, Satan tried to create something in this world that did not exist in the first place.

Using Loki’s body.

“Did you learn the characteristics of weaving in the process? The fact that weaving is ‘inherited’. That must be when you started making backroom deals with God.”

Satan knew that the weaving was inherited.

That is, if left alone, someone among the humans will have weaving skills and, by fate, will resist the gods.

“Was it Moira who told you that it was Frondia? At least Moirai’s power would reach there. That’s why you tried to control Frondia using me. Since I, one of the Seven Deadly Sins, am on the continent of Palind, and it’s not easy for the gods to descend. You acted as a bridge to easily suppress the owner of the weaving, right? In return, the god gave you all sorts of conveniences. Thanks to that, you smoothly rose to the position of becoming the Demon King.”

So Satan said to Belphegor.

Grant sloth to Frondier.

“So what’s the big deal? Do you want to hear some praise for only realizing it after coming all this way?”

“No, to be exact.”

Belphegor scratched the ball.

As if embarrassed.

“I wanted to point out something you didn’t notice even after I told you this far.”

“what?”

“It seems like you’ve been conspiring with Thanatos, the Moirai, and the gods.”

There Belphegor laughed.

With that kind of smile.

“I have one too. A secret agent.”

“… … Don’t talk nonsense. There was no one around you. There was no hiding, no communicating from afar, or anything like that. You were definitely alone.”

“Hahaha. That’s true. There’s no one around me. But this isn’t that kind of secret plan.”

Belphegor raised a finger.

“My secret enemy is Loki.”

“… … Stop talking nonsense there. Loki,”

“Yeah. He died. That’s why I said it was a process.”

Belphegor’s eyes sank as if he was recalling the past for a moment.

“This is the contract.”

* * *

The past human race was defeated by God.

The involvement of the Olympian gods in the war was the biggest cause.

The giants did not anticipate their arrival, the worst of which was Thanatos.

Thanatos can forcibly take souls. Even if it doesn’t lead to death, it brings about something close to it.

The last one to stand against him was Loki.

“… … Tch, damn it.”

Right now, Loki is waiting for the moment of death with a hole in his body.

Even his last fight with Thanatos was already according to the gods’ calculations.

Thanatos cursed Loki for using weaving.

Conscious of the ‘successive’ nature of weaving, he intended to kill its owner if the weaving interfered with reality once again.

“I won.”

That’s what came to Loki as he faced his death.

“… … Belphegor.”

It was Belphegor.

Loki looked up at him with a weak voice.

Belphegor knelt on one knee and lowered himself, moving closer to Loki.

“Do you remember our contract?”

At this time, Belphegor had little interest in the fight between gods and humans.

He was a pure devil, after all. He still had the nickname of sloth.

“I lend you my strength. Until you die. After that, your soul is mine.”

Loki made a pact with Belphegor long ago.

However, this contract did nothing to help Loki.

“You should have made it clear that you were lending me your strength. Like, you wanted me to join the fight, or you wanted me to give you a weapon. When you make a contract, choose the right wording. Next time.”

Belphegor taunted Loki.

Of course, since I said I would lend you my strength, I couldn’t not help you at all.

There is considerable coercive power in its own way. It is not that power is taken away arbitrarily or anything, but freedom is restricted.

However, in the end, it was a pact where Loki had to die to be free. There was no way Belphegor could properly help Loki.

This is the contract that Loki made, the center and front line of the giants. It’s so flimsy that I yawned.

I yawn all the time though.

“Kukuk.”

But then Loki laughed.

“No, Belphegor. Remember exactly.”

“… … What are you talking about? I must not have misremembered. You only said, ‘Please lend me your strength.’”

“It’s not you.”

Loki said.

Loki probably saw it too.

Belphegor’s eyes were filled with anticipation as he saw Loki smiling slyly even as he lay dying.

“I said, ‘When the owner of the weaving dies.’ Not when I die.”

“That’s you.”

“Yes, for now.”

When Belphegor made this contract, the phrase ‘owner of the weave’ was a measure to avoid Loki’s namesake. Indeed, sometimes he does escape the contract in this way. However, there is only one owner of the weave. Loki cannot escape this contract.

But Loki said,

“That’s true. Weaving is inherited.”

“……succession?”

“Yes. When I die, the next owner of the weave will appear.”

Owner of the next weave.

Belphegor felt a chill as he understood the meaning.

“… … That is, the owner of the weaving continues to appear,”

“You have to help him every time. Every time.”

While this contract was in progress, Belphegor was unable to exert any real power against Loki.

Belphegor’s fingertips trembled.

Loki said.

“You hastily accepted the contract with me in order to carry out the flimsy expression of ‘lending me your strength.’”

Yes.

Because Loki thought it was a contract that was advantageous to him.

“If the other party doesn’t point out any loopholes in the contract, think about whether there are any loopholes aimed at you. Next time.”

The law that states that if a situation is given as you wish, it is difficult to doubt what will happen next.

Belphegor realized the law keenly at this time.

“You will remain bound to my contract until humanity triumphs.”

Belphegor laughed at Loki’s words.

“You played a trick on the devil.”

“That’s what I do.”

Strangely enough, Belphegor felt no anger.

This man is similar to himself.

Belphegor is a demon. A demon who is used to deceiving and being deceived.

Rather than being angry that he had been tricked, he was intrigued.

Kwak.

Then Loki grabbed Belphegor’s clothes roughly.

“I knew you were making a mockery of this contract. But from now on, you won’t be able to do that again.”

“… … You, you never expected humans to win from the beginning.”

“It’s not just me.”

Loki’s eyes flashed open.

“All my companions who have joined me have entrusted the fate of humanity to the future. We cannot defeat God now. We have not yet found a way to resist fate.”

Loki’s fist trembled.

“But that’s just the story for now.”

Anger, sadness, regret and guilt for all my dead comrades.

“Next time, humanity will win. It doesn’t have to be me. But next time, I will definitely defeat God!”

“… … .”

Belphegor kept his mouth shut. In his eyes, it seemed as if nothing had changed in the human.

But now it’s no longer possible to let it go like that. We’re bound by a contract.

Instead, Belphegor asked a different question.

“… … Loki, you said that weaving is something that only those who have already experienced other worlds can do.”

“okay.”

“What was the world you originally came from like?”

Loki was momentarily dumbfounded by those words.

Loki said with a small smile.

“Ask me again on the day you took my soul.”

like that.

Loki is dead.

Belphegor slowly got up, watching Loki sink and lose all his vitality.

“Right.”

Belphegor placed one hand on his waist and slowly turned his gaze.

“I was a little curious.”