'One reason...'
'To not kill everyone?'
Two people.
Two cities.
One a hellish landscape of fire and lava.
The other a frozen land of ice.
These two, in completely different positions, with completely different views on life, were posed the same question, in the same manner, by the same person.
A King whose greed allowed him to control the very economy with his own will.
A Knight who spent her life searching for what it meant to perform her duty.
Faced with the imminent threat of destruction, both of these leaders found themselves at an impasse.
Before them were beings of ultimate terror, and yet these beings of terror did not so much as offer a choice.
They did not demand 'become our slaves or die.'
They did not make an offer for the other party to consider.
Rather, they implored those before them.
'Make us an offer.'
This was unprecedented.
For an evil overlord, taking control of the world was perhaps conceivable.
Destroying everyone in the world as well was perhaps a possibility- however just why would one want to do such a thing?
Even so, the ones who stood before the two did not directly take either of these approaches.
Instead, they took the middle ground.
The ground of a negotiator.
"Tell us why we should allow you to live."
This was the question that the two were posed with, and a heavy question it was.
Just how would they be able to weigh the lives of thousands to beings who would not consider their weight as a given?
With this question, negotiations begun.
Negotiations which would determine the very fate of all the elementals of the world.
----
Evelyn was torn apart all over again.
Just when she believed she would be given a chance, her hopes were dashed away once more.
To give these demons a reason not to destroy this city.
This implied that they held no inherent reason preventing them from doing so.
To put things simply, they did not value the lives of anyone around them.
Evelyn and her people were nothing more than insects.
No, perhaps even less.
Perhaps the people of Iciclaris held negative worth in the eyes of the antiheroes.
They were nothing more than eyesores, to which the natural inclination would be to exert effort in order to wipe such eyesores away.
And yet, Evelyn was presented with a task.
To pretty up such eyesores in a manner to make it so that the antiheroes would not waste effort in removing them.
This was the low state which Evelyn had reached.
Coming to this realization, Evelyn's heart was filled with despair, but even so she looked up.
She had to say something.
The four sat before her, awaiting her answer patiently.
"I.... my people....."
"Captain!!!"
"Don't worry about us!!!"
"We'll support you, wherever you go!!"
The people behind Evelyn in the crowds cheered her on, encouraging her from behind.
"Captain!!!!!"
"We trust you!!!"
Her people pushed her on from behind, giving her support that she didn't deserve.
Just what had they seen in her to bring them to this point?
Just what had anyone seen in her?
Wasn't it that Envidia was the only one who saw her the way she truly was?
Wasn't her sister the only one who knew of Evelyn's weakness?
Of her cowardice?
Of her foolishness?
Of her indecision?
Why did they continue to put their faith in her, even after she failed so spectacularly, declaring it so boldly?
"As you can see, antiheroes.... my people continue to love me. That is what my city can offer."
Evelyn stood up, smiling in the face of death.
"Even when I do not deserve such love.... such faith.... such cheers.... and such support, they continue to believe in me. I am not worthy of such support, but you can see yourselves. These are the people of this city."
Opening her eyes, Evelyn stared deeply into the eyes of the spiritual menace.
Somehow, despite the demented look in those eyes, she didn't seem as intimidating as before.
"If you cannot find worth in their faith, then what worth could you find in them?"
[How heroic. Spoken like a true Knight.]
The mature voice of the succubus resounded within the mind of Evelyn, yet she did not move her mouth.
The words had been transmitted into her mind, for whatever reason.
[Yet it is exactly that heroism.... which we have come to this world to destroy.]
It was at that moment that Evelyn felt a strange pressure around her.
It was nothing compared to the pressure she felt from the spiritual figure before, yet it was enough to slow her movements.
Evelyn watched as the spiritual figure grabbed a wand which materialized in her hands, swinging it around quickly.
"You fail."
Evelyn drew her sword, her icy blade forming as she used it to block a blunt blow, sliding backwards across the icy stage.
The spiritual figure now had stepped forward and spun her wand around, the orbs on which began to glow red.
[Decrease Agility]
[Decrease Perception]
[Decrease Strength]
[Debuff: Mind Haze]
Evelyn felt herself in a daze, as if she had been poisoned with some sort of drug.
Her own limbs became numb and her sight flared in and out.
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Before losing control, she held forward her blade, blocking another blow from the wand which the spiritual girl held.
At that moment, the sword shattered.
The wand continued with momentum, smashing into the head of Evelyn, which shattered in an explosion of icy chunks.
The body fell to the ground, shattering as well in many locations as it hit the ground.
"Now then..... it looks like your own hero has been lost."
Gasps were heard throughout the crowd.
The people were thrown into despair as they watched their own Captain, the most hard working and powerful warrior of the city, fall before their very eyes.
"Ah, but do not mistake us. We are not the antiheroes."
It was then that the appearances of the four shifted, so that they no longer took the forms of the four beings of terror, but rather of four humans.
Humans.
The weak creatures who lived on the other side of the world, who would never even hold a candle in strength to elementals- beings of the 7th and 8th tier.
Unless...
"Humans?"
"There are..... four of them..."
"C-could they be....."
Many people gasped, holding their own breath as if it were taboo to utter the words.
"Could it be the heroes?"
When one man said this, the people of Iciclaris dropped to their knees.
The heroes.
The leaders of humanity, said to destroy all demons in a campaign of supposed 'righteousness'.
To the elementals, and all demons, the heroes were the very definition of evil.
The antiheroes were the ones who would spread chaos throughout the world.
They were dictators who would take control of the monsters of the realm.
The heroes however, were nothing more than crazed murderers.
They were those who viewed the monsters as nothing more than creatures to be exterminated.
All in the name of justice and honor.
They were the natural enemy of Knight's such as Evelyn, who held true honor in battle- prioritizing the lives of those around her.
"Run!!!!!"
"AGH!!!!!!"
"Kya!!!!!"
The auditorium turned into a scene of screams and chaos, and the people began to rush out the doors, terrorized at the possibility of the heroes having arrived in order to exterminate them from the world.
"Now it all makes sense...."
"Agh!!!! We've fallen right into their trap!!!"
"Even Captain Evelyn..... GRR!!! Curse you, cheap heroes who rely on tricks and sneak attacks!!!!"
The woman who had slain Evelyn stood forward, her long red hair fluttering as she put her foot in front of her with power.
"Do not mistake us, parasites. We are not the heroes. Goodness, being a human is inconvenient."
The woman stroked the back of her ear, a horrible smile coming across her demented yet beautiful face.
"We are the slaves of the antiheroes. And our offer stands. We've come to destroy..... any form of heroism within this world."
The man who wore a blue labcoat then threw a potion across the room as if he were a pitcher, and it landed near the door, smashing itself before forming a barrier.
The barrier formed, making a semispherical shape so that it surrounded the building, trapping all the people inside.
"Now then..... your own Captain has died. Is it not about time that you bowed down to our masters... as their slaves?"
The people who were rushing towards the doors dropped to their knees, unable to escape.
"Our.... escape route....."
"That.... this.... can't be...."
Dropping to the ground hopeless, the people didn't so much as dare to turn around.
The tall brown haired man took out a potion which was dark and murky, pouring it out onto the crystalline body of the ice elemental who had just been killed.
As soon as it came into contact with the body, it disappeared.
"Potion of storage..... successful. This is..... crazy. The amount of potions I've created and all the different effects they hold are insane. And it's all because of the skills of his excellency."
With an awestruck statement, Lance, the tall man, stood forward and looked around to the terrified people.
"There are children here as well? That doesn't sit well with me. I didn't want them to have to see something like that."
With an unsure expression, Lance turned around with the flare of his coat.
"Well, I guess that is what it is. After all..... we're supposed to be the villains here."
"You will prepare gifts for their excellencies, and offer not only yourselves, but your entire city on a silver platter. And if you prove to be a liability as opposed to an asset to the Dictatorship.... then their excellencies will eliminate you."
Pierre spoke these words with pride, shouting out for all to hear.
The people were filled with horror and torment, and a single thought filled their own minds.
'Survive.'
This was the only thing that occupied their minds.
It was then that the four disappeared, and the barrier similarly dissipated, freeing the people from their captivity.
Yet they were anything but free.
The fact that those four had simply left after trapping everyone in a cage without even bothering to kill anyone else spoke into the hearts of the people an unspoken statement.
"You are locked in this world with us. And nowhere you run is safe."
It was at that moment, that the people of Iciclaris understood.
There was no going back.
----
"A reason not to destroy us..... you say?"
"Is that too much to ask for?"
Avarco's question was met with a prompt answer by the elf before him.
"Hahaha..... you are truly..... an interesting group."
Avarco could not help but hold his own face with intrigue.
From the first moments of his life he wasn't wanted by anyone, his mother aside.
He felt as if the very world was bent against him.
Yet it was in money that he found salvation.
Business.
When he controlled the money, he controlled the world.
And yet, how small that world was.
Now, he felt as if he had taken a true stage.
"Very well..... your excellency. I will propose to you the benefits of accepting us within your own Dictatorship.... as your slaves."
"It seems you understand us well. Much better than.... the woman of the other city. Continue."
Avarco was given the green light by Trevor, to which he looked around at his people.
"I will not insult your intelligence by reiterating the simple rules of business. Take a look around, your excellency. These people are normal citizens, working normal jobs in order to make a living. And what benefit is there to you for allowing them to live? It is quite simple, quite simple indeed."
Closing his eyes and bringing his cane to his side after pointing to the people, Avarco grinned, the magmatic fluid which flowed around his body hardening as he said this.
"What is your goal? Is this not the first question I should ask you when presenting something to you? As a businessman, to not understand the desires of your client would be the gravest mistake one could possibly make. However, I do not sense that you hold any intention to tell me any more than you already have. Am I wrong?"
"If everything were handed to you on a silver platter, could you really say that you did anything for it?", Trevor asked.
With an expected reply, Avarco nodded.
"Of course it is that way. Which is why I will begin with a slightly different premise. Regardless of your own goals.... no matter what you seek, whether it is control of the entire world, or whether it is peace throughout the world, there is one thing which is required to fulfill any goal."
Avarco reached into his pocket, pulling out a few golden coins.
"Money."
The spiritual figure snorted at this motion. This was a response which he couldn't make heads or tails of.
Was his statement incorrect, or was she perhaps laughing for another reason?
"Yeah, money's important alright. Doesn't matter what world you're in. But here's the thing. Does money have any worth if you already have everything?"
The girl spoke with an earsplitting tone, and her words hit just as hard as the sound of them.
Avarco, clearly unsettled from her bold statement, began to sweat bullets of magma.
The fundamental rule of exchange was that one must desire something, and exchange something else which their opponent values for it.
However, the spirit before Avarco made a statement which could halt any and all business with them.
'They..... already have everything?'
"Surely, you would not be here in an attempt to take our city if you already had everything. There must be something which you desire.... and having money will surely bring you closer to that goal."
With sound logic, Avarco slid off the absurd statement.
"So what? Do you understand how hard it is to rule a city? Unless you're making us a killing, it would be easier to burn this place to the ground.... right?"
The girl spoke with unnecessary malice, placing a horrible amount of pressure on Avarco.
"Even so.... I am certain that we could produce enough to satisfy whatever demands you make of us. Name your price, your excellency. We will provide it for you, and we will ensure that there is no need to waste your own precious time and effort managing us."
"So you're trying to escape?"
The one who spoke now was Samantha, the succubus who looked down on Avarco with disappointed expression.
"Nothing of the sort, your excellency. I am merely making an offer. We will offer you.... everything. Our products, our lives, our very city.... and without so much as a cent of cost to yourself. We will ensure that we are completely self sufficient, as we always have been, and will not even so much as require your own attention to function. Of course, I am not saying that you have to stay away- only that if you do, you need not worry about a difference in the quality of our own products."
"Acceptable. Just barely. However, I am not yet convinced. After all, the people around you.... they do not hold the expressions of those who would give their lives for us."
Surrounding the people were many of the men who had already been killed once.
Samantha pointed out their own terrified expressions, an issue which Avarco could not ignore.
As one of the men who had experienced death on that very day, it took everything in his very being just to remain calm right now, but that was as much as he could manage.
His mind was in a state of chaos as he put on a front of calmness.
His hands shook ferociously, yet he tried to keep them still with all his strength.
'They.... they are truly demonic..... insatiable.... perhaps gluttony would be a better word for their own relentless pursuits.... gluttony..... AH!'
"You intend to defeat the other Hosts, no? Is there nothing that we can offer you in assistance to that matter?"
"They are already as good as defeated, thanks to the information we received from a certain spiritual temptress. Now quit changing the question, shithead. Answer it or die."
The succubus was no longer playing around.
In politics and business, how often were people asked a question only to give a roundabout answer, sometimes completely avoiding the question as a whole?
The antiheroes would take none of that.
They held the power to look Avarco straight in the eye and demand an answer, and he could do nothing to reject that demand.
"Yes, of course.... you are referring to the question regarding my own people.... and their willingness to serve you?"
"You finally caught on!! Hahaha..... oh wait..... you're stalling for time, aren't you?"
The beautiful expression of the succubus went from delighted to irritated in an instant, and she disappeared only to appear behind Avarco, holding her finger to his throat.
"So? Can you convince them to serve us with absolute loyalty?"
"Of....."
Avarco gulped as the finger threatened to slice open one of his magmatic arteries.
"Of course I can....."
"Ah. Bzzt. Wrong."
It was at that moment that a barrier which looked like a thin sheet of glass flew through the neck of Avarco, slicing his head clean off.
"Yes, I can. Yes, I can. Do you know how much it pisses me off when people say they can do something, when in reality they're shitting themselves, lying through their teeth even if they know they can't actually keep their own word? Hahaha..... what a businessman that one was. A snake who tried to slip through the cracks with nice promises and pretty words."
Sitting backdown and crossing one leg over the another, Samantha looked to the people around with one eye closed.
"Ah right. Gary, do something about the insects around us, will you?"
"Don't order him around like that. I'm the only one who gets to do that.", Ashley crackled.
"Ah, you're right. Sorry. Then, would you please show these insects their places?"
"Will do.", Garett replied with a crackle, standing up from his seat.
With a demonic grin, he stood before the terrified people, his expression inspiring a horrible terror in each and every one of them.
"Demon...."
"Demon....."
"Agh....."
"N....no....."
"Funny that you would call me that term. After all, aren't you classified as demons yourselves?"