Dungeon Defense-Chapter 435: Pride of Existence (7)

“…….”

It’s rare for silence to follow laughter.

Barbatos smiled so confidently after revealing her crime that, for a moment, people probably couldn’t even comprehend what she had said. She grinned mischievously, like a playful child.

“On another note, I must admit, I’m feeling a bit disappointed. Sure, I may have killed Paimon, but isn’t this a bit much? You demonfolk still have no sense of loyalty. It almost makes my dedication and efforts seem completely meaningless.”

Barbatos let out a sigh as she shook her head.

“I know working for the sake of the people is always a futile venture, but this disappointment is on a whole new level. Hah, you guys are all pigs sticking your noses in the muck, savoring it as if it’s some kind of fragrance. When will you ever gain a proper sense of smell?”

Once again, trash was thrown from the crowd. Most of it missed horribly, landing at Barbatos’ feet or flying off in completely the wrong direction. Barbatos didn’t even flinch as she continued to stare straight ahead without a care.

“I assassinated Paimon. Yeah, that’s the truth. But it seems like you’re all misunderstanding something……. Even if I must be punished, I won’t let pieces of trash like you be the ones to do it. Why? Because you don’t have the right to judge me. None whatsoever!”

Barbatos raised her chin and slowly turned her gaze from right to left.

“Rather, I stand here to accuse you demons, you rotten scum reeking with the stench of decaying entrails. First, you’re lazy. You push the things you should be doing onto others and call it wisdom. Hiding cowardice and deceit behind so-called intelligence is the habit of people born to be slaves, and in that sense, all you deserve is to live forever as slaves, resenting your filthy bloodline.”

Barbatos smirked.

“Too bad slavery was abolished! Now we can’t even call those who look like people but have the blood of dogs running through them as slaves. You’ll have to quickly come up with a new name for yourselves. How about food waste? It’s a good fit, don’t you think? Your pathetic lives have a lot in common with it—half-chewed and thrown away. You even make people want to vomit just by looking at you.”

The shouts in the square grew louder and more intense. But Barbatos hummed merrily as if she were more energized.

“I’ve only mentioned the first offense. There’s plenty more to go. After observing your kind for thousands of years, do you think I’d stop here? Second, you’re fools. I’m almost in awe of how easily you settle for half-baked knowledge. You never bother to truly reflect or pursue the truth to its end. You’re the type of idiots who would rebuild the same shoddy shack after it’s blown down by a typhoon, the kind of dullards who spend their entire lives in lukewarm water, proudly parading your intellectual laziness as though it were a virtue.”

By now, the crowd was howling loudly. They were more like a pack of wild animals than people. Veins bulged from their necks, and their arms flailed uncontrollably.

“And finally, third: you’re cowards! Too lazy to act, too ignorant to understand, you run from everything—and you don’t even realize you’re running. That’s why your lives are nothing but cowardice. Creatures who’ve never truly lived even once! You boast of being pure-hearted people, but at your core, you’re nothing but wicked devils!”

Barbatos shouted,

“Cut off my head and hang it in this square of Niflheim! And remember the sentence I pronounce here today for all eternity! You filthy pigs. I, Barbatos, despise your laziness, stupidity, and cowardice, and I sentence you to hang yourselves in disgrace!”

She then burst into loud laughter.

The Neutral Faction Demon Lords rushed in and pried the amplification artifact away from her. But Barbatos’s laughter didn’t stop; it echoed endlessly through the air. She laughed like the bells of the city ringing out.

The interrogation was over. All six Demon Lords of the Plains Faction admitted to the crimes.

The Demon Lords of the Plains Faction confessed to their crimes to save Barbatos, and Barbatos accepted the blame to save her subordinates. This mutual sacrifice was destined to end in tragedy from the start. The victory was ours.

There was no reason to hesitate or delay. Standing tall on the platform, I began my address.

“Esteemed comrades, I can no longer tolerate the sight of vile murderers shamelessly boasting about their crimes. The following truths have now become clear.”

I spoke deliberately, mostly directing my words at Marbas, as I raised one finger.

“First, the Plains Faction sought to completely obliterate the Mountain Faction politically. To achieve this, Barbatos induced the betrayal of Demon Lord Morax, while Zepar orchestrated the defection of Demon Lord Belial. It is clear that the Plains Faction’s leaders acted with deliberate intent.”

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I raised a second finger.

“Second, the Plains Faction coerced the archdukes of the demon realm to carry out Paimon’s assassination. While there may be debate over exactly who among them was responsible for the threats, it is undeniable that every Demon Lord of the Plains Faction was aware of the assassination plan in advance. Moreover, all of them have confessed to being the ones who carried it out. From this, it is easy to deduce that the recent assassination was not the act of a single individual but an organized operation orchestrated at the level of the entire Plains Faction. It was the Plains Faction as a whole that killed Demon Lord Paimon.”

I clenched my fist and surveyed the square.

Tens of thousands of eyes and emotions were focused on me. Meeting their gaze, I quietly declared:

“Given these crimes―I propose the beheading of all members of the Plains Faction.”

The citizens erupted into wild cheers.

There was no need for agitators. The people cried out for execution with one voice. Though a small number of citizens still held affection for Barbatos, their voices were far too feeble to oppose the overwhelming roar of the masses.

Above all, the fact that not a single Plains Faction Demon Lord had defended themselves served as irrefutable proof to the public that they had indeed orchestrated Paimon’s assassination.

There was no room for defense.

Marbas called upon the Demon Lords serving as co-judges.

“Sitri.”

“……I agree with the sentence.”

“Gamigin.”

“Of course, I agree. It’s almost disappointing that it’s a beheading and not a burning.”

“Vassago.”

“I agree.”

Marbas nodded.

“I, too, accept the sentence. With unanimous consent from the four judges, we hereby declare all members of the Plains Faction guilty and sentence them to beheading. While it is customary to allow a reprieve before the execution of a sentence…….”

Marbas spoke solemnly.

“This crime is profoundly heinous, having inflicted immense harm not only on the Demon Lord Army, but also on the entire society of the demon realm. It is only fitting that the punishment be carried out immediately without a moment’s hesitation. The Plains Faction shall now face the divine wrath of justice.”

Marbas raised the ceremonial staff and swung it like a hammer. A resounding thud echoed as the verdict was finalized. Soon after, the Neutral Faction Demon Lords dragged Zepar onto the platform.

I received Baal’s sword from Daisy. It was slightly heavy, but manageable. The blade adjusted its size appropriately for the wielder, making it bearable. Gripping the sword in reverse, I deactivated the amplification magic.

The Neutral Faction Demon Lords roughly forced Zepar on his knees. Zepar slowly looked around once his helmet was removed. His gaze met mine.

Understanding the situation fully, Zepar muttered calmly, as if resigning himself to the truth.

“So, this is how it ends…….”

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Dantalian, I have one final question. Will you answer truthfully?”

“I swear to speak the truth, no matter the question.”

“What has become of Her Excellency Barbatos?”

I gazed expressionlessly into Zepar’s eyes, observing the deep ash-gray hue before speaking.

“She will be confined in the prison of Permafrost for four hundred years. In exchange, you, along with Beleth and the two other Plain Faction Demon Lords, will be executed. As you wished, Barbatos has survived.”

“…….”

“Do you have any regrets?”

Zepar shook his head.

“My life has been nothing but regrets. There’s no need to elaborate further.”

He looked at me steadily.

“Take care of Barbatos, Dantalian. She’s the kindest woman I’ve ever known.”

“……Which goddess would you like to entrust your final guidance to?”

“Apologies,” Zepar replied, lowering his head.

“I’m an atheist.”

I closed my eyes briefly and opened them again. Gripping the hilt of the sword tightly, I brought the blade down precisely on Zepar’s nape. The sensation of bone splitting resonated vividly through my palm. With a dull thud, Zepar’s head separated from his body and rolled onto the wooden platform.

The citizens erupted into cheers, chanting my name in unison—Dantalian, they cried. Amid the flood of voices, a flash of blue light flickered momentarily, but I chose to ignore it. The Neutral Faction Demon Lords took Zepar’s body and disappeared.

Next was Beleth.

Led by the Demon Lords, Beleth was made to kneel exactly where Zepar had moments before. His helmet was also removed. Beleth furrowed his brows, glaring at me intently.

“Which fool died before I did?”

“Zepar.”

Beleth let out a low snort.

“In the end, born after me and fallen before me—it’s my victory, then. And Her Excellency Barbatos?”

“She will be imprisoned in Permafrost for four hundred years.”

“Heh. Lucky for me. I won’t have to suffer the disgrace of outliving my lord.”

And so, Beleth craned his neck forward, silently signaling that he had no final words to leave behind. To my knowledge, Beleth had never once uttered the name of any goddess. Like Zepar, he likely wanted no part in reciting prayers to mark his end.

With no further exchange, I simply raised the sword and brought it down. A heavy, blunt sound resonated as Beleth’s head fell. Blood spurted out in abundance, drenching the hem of my robe. I didn’t bother to wipe it off, standing quietly as I awaited the next in line.

And the next.

Each of the Plain Faction Demon Lords echoed the same question about Barbatos’ fate before bowing their heads in resignation. Each time, I answered that Barbatos had been sentenced to confinement.

I told them their scheme had succeeded, that their false confessions had lessened Barbatos’ punishment. Hearing this, the Demon Lords met their ends with apparent satisfaction, as if they had kept their promise to her.

In the end, they disappeared carrying only lies. There could be no greater insult to their deaths than this deception.

“…….”

I steadied my emotions, letting a calm wash over me.

Finally, the Neutral Faction Demon Lords brought forth a young girl.

As expected, that girl’s name was Barbatos.

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. I’m sure those of you who aren’t in the Discord have no idea why this chapter took so long to release… Well, on February 17th, at 11:30am, my dad passed away after fighting stage 4 pancreatic cancer for a year and a half. I started to visit him at the hospital a week before that since his condition had been worsening. Although, by then, he had reached a point where he couldn’t even talk. I thought he would have until spring, but it just came spiraling down. It’s been a rough few weeks since then. I only got the will to translate again a few days ago.

I think I may write a post later to help organize my thoughts. In a way, I sort of want to let out everything in my mind before I eventually forget. Though I wonder if this is a good outlet for that… Maybe I need a therapist… but those are expensive.

Eugh, I’ll sort my thoughts out later. I’ll see you guys in the next chapter.