The Beast Emperor’s Rebellion.

Ever since Fried became the new Demon King, Zegart had been concocting countermeasures against him.

It was true that Fried was powerful. In terms of pure mana and raw stats, he was the strongest among all historical Demon Kings. Even Zegart would undoubtedly be killed if he challenged him head-on.

“However, there is a weakness to exploit,” the Beast Emperor muttered.

From records of battles in the human realm, he knew that Fried would be weakened by fragments of the Demon King’s Sword whenever ‘certain conditions’ were met. By leveraging that, a path to victory remained.

He was ninety percent sure he had identified those ‘certain conditions,’ and he already possessed the necessary fragments to trigger them.

“Still… even if we seal the Demon King, his close aides are formidable in their own right,” Zegart exhaled softly. “Unless we break their ranks, ultimate victory will elude us.”

“Indeed, my lord,” Tsukuyomi agreed from beside him. “Even if we neutralize the Demon King, facing Regal, Juda, or perhaps Stella—who has awakened to a new power—all at once would leave us with slim chances of victory.”

In terms of direct combat ability, Zegart ranked among the absolute strongest in the Demon Realm. Tsukuyomi was a top-tier homunculus possessing high close-quarters combat capability and vast mana, capable of operating semi-permanently as long as his core remained intact. Moreover, Zegart’s right-hand man, Sigmund, possessed power that made light work of average demons, even if faced with a Demon General. Furthermore, the forces under Zegart’s command consisted of matchless, seasoned warriors second to none in the Demon Realm.

And yet—

“Olivier, with her high healing capabilities, and Felia, the master of mind magic, are also troublesome opponents,” Tsukuyomi remarked.

Facing the entire army of the Demon Realm head-on offered practically no chance of winning.

“Rather, calling it reckless would be an understatement,” Zegart smirked. “However, if we bring Regal to our side and seal Juda… the remaining aides are inferior to us in terms of direct combat prowess.”

A clear vision shone in the Beast Emperor’s eyes.

“As long as we play our cards right, we will win.”

He envisioned victory, and beyond that—his own coronation as the Demon King.

Zegart went to see Regal, one of the Demon Generals.

“Join your side… you say? A rebellion against the Demon King, no less?”

The Lord Undead glared at Zegart. Because his head was a skull, his facial expression was impossible to read, but his glowing red eyes clearly harbored intense anger.

“Even as a joke, I cannot overlook this…!”

“This is no joke,” Zegart stated calmly. “I hold your power in high regard. That is why I came to recruit you.”

“Are you serious? If so, as one of the Demon Generals—as a pillar supporting the Demon Realm—I must strike you down.”

Regal drew his sword. It was an abnormally shaped blade that looked as though it were crafted from countless joined bones.

“Now, hold on,” Zegart checked him with a single hand. “Do you know the true identity of the Demon King?”

“His true identity?”

“He is a human.”

“…Absurd.”

Even as Regal said this, a faint tremor shook his voice. Perhaps he had picked up on something himself, or perhaps he had glimpsed Fried’s true face beneath his mask before.

“Naturally, his body is that of a demon. However, his mind remains entirely human. To put it simply, a human wearing a demon’s skin is ruling over this Demon Realm.”

“…A human, you say?”

“Yes—a member of the very race you hate above all else.”

Zegart and Regal locked eyes.

“The Demon King… is a human…”

A subtle flicker of turmoil was visible in the Lord Undead’s gaze.

“Well then.”

I let out a soft sigh beneath my mask.

What should I tackle first today?

Routine duties were as heavy as always, but thanks to Stella’s support, I managed them without too much trouble. Lately, I had gained a deeper understanding of the various petitions and documents, and I found myself exchanging opinions with Stella more frequently.

Am I growing a little as a King, I wonder?

The matter of the barrier, the restructuring of the Demon Army, medical treatment for the wounded from the last battle, the reconstruction of destroyed towns—problems were piling up.

However, I had reliable subordinates—reliable allies—by my side. Together with Stella, the other Demon Generals, and the demons, we would build up and prosper the Demon Realm.

As I was heading to my office with those thoughts in mind—

“Your Majesty!”

Stella came running up to me. Something was wrong.

“It’s an emergency.”

Her face was deathly pale.

“What happened, Stella?” I knitted my brows beneath my mask.

“Beast Emperor Zegart and Alchemist General Tsukuyomi, along with the Fourth and Seventh Armies under their command…” Stella reported.

A terrible premonition sent a chill down my spine.

“…have launched a rebellion.”