The Academy’s Weapon Replicator

Baal, fully awake and holding his sword, had blocked his nails with the back of the blade.

That meant,

"Oh, you're back."

Frondier, whose eyes had regained focus.

He had brought Baal back out.

"Marchosias, what are you doing?"

Baal spoke in a stern voice.

To which Marco replied.

"What are you doing, Baal?"

In the midst of it all, Frondier was just leisurely watching the two of them.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he turned his head and waved his hand towards a slightly further distance.

"Elysia! Thank you! You saved my life!"

He expressed his gratitude towards Elysia, who was far away.

Elysia was trembling inside the half-disappeared workshop.

"You, you, 'permission' meant that? You bad guy!"

"Bad? I just let you handle Obsidian."

"Because of that, I was so scared! In case that devil attacked me,"

"But if you were really worried about that, you could have just stayed quiet. You didn't have to use Obsidian to protect me."

The Obsidian that Frondier currently possessed was like his own limbs.

This was because Obsidian had been integrated as the mana of Helheim.

But if that mana was removed, Obsidian would revert to its previous state.

In other words, it was just a 'magical substance' that anyone could use, becoming metal when given strength and returning to liquid when strength was removed.

Frondier had evacuated Elysia into the workshop, but in fact, the material of the workshop didn't have the mana of Helheim that he possessed. It was just Obsidian.

Elysia knew that as soon as she entered. As a mage, she knew that the mana Frondier had was gone from the workshop.

And if that happened, Obsidian could also be moved with Elysia's 'telekinesis'.

The wall of Obsidian that blocked Marco's path was none other than Elysia's telekinesis.

"You would have been safe if you had left me to die, but you took the risk, Elysia."

"You, you, you! How dare you say that!"

"Hahaha, give up, Elysia."

Frondier laughed refreshingly enough to make anyone watching feel empty.

"You're that kind of person."

"...Ugh..."

Elysia, speechless. Her face flushed red with anger, she just huffed and puffed.

Meanwhile, Baal and Marchosias continued their confrontation.

"Marchosias, you wouldn't be unaware of what happens to me if Frondier dies, would you?"

Baal spoke with displeasure.

Frondier had entered Pandemonium to bring out Baal. So if he killed him, Baal would naturally never be able to escape.

"Baal, you should have known. What it meant to cause Pandemonium and be defeated."

However, Marco spoke as if it was absurd.

"Besides, if, as you say, I killed Frondier before you escaped, you would have had some justification to resent me."

But that wasn't the situation now.

The situation where Baal, awakened in reality, had blocked Marco's attack.

If Baal had left Marco alone, the best possible story from their perspective could have unfolded: Marco killing Frondier and Baal returning alive.

"What are you thinking, Baal? That was the best chance."

"..."

Baal closed his mouth at that.

Instead, Frondier spoke.

"That's because, you see, Baal has decided to be on my side now."

"...!"

Marco's eyes momentarily wavered at those words. Reading that, Baal lightly pushed with the back of his blade. As a result, Marco stepped back and created distance.

The moment Baal blocked his attack, he had anticipated this situation to some extent.

Frondier had rescued Baal from Pandemonium. It was only natural for him to make this kind of offer in return.

'But Baal, for you to accept that offer.'

Baal, known as the King of Hell, accepting a mere human's deal. And that too, to save his own life.

"The title of king is laughable, Baal."

Marco said to Baal. If Baal had sided with Frondier, he was naturally Marco's enemy from now on.

Marco had already taken his stance. He was ready to face Baal, enraged by his words.

However, despite hearing words close to an insult, Baal didn't move.

"Say whatever you want, Marchosias."

"...Baal, come to your senses. Is a deal with a human that important? Now that you've escaped Pandemonium, you don't need to listen to that kind of promise. Do I need to explain this in detail? We're devils!"

Devils were originally beings who made contracts with humans and played with those contracts.

It was their 'duty' to anger humans, make them greedy, and corrupt their souls.

For them, pure fulfillment of promises was something that shouldn't even be expected, and it was the way of a devil to do their best to break those expectations.

"That's true, but I've changed my mind."

Nevertheless, Baal said.

It was the same as saying he would stand by Frondier's side.

"...Are you saying you'll betray Agoris, Baal?"

Agoris. The name of the western continent.

If Baal sided with Frondier, hostility with Agoris was as clear as day.

"No."

There, Frondier spoke.

"I'm thinking of helping the western devils."

"...What?"

"One of your subordinates, one of the ones who flew in from the west, told me. 'We have no business with humans'."

During the first attack by the western devils, Frondier had faced one of them.

The western devil wanted to find the devils hiding in the Empire. He wanted to take revenge on them. He said there was no place for humans to interfere.

"If you guys aren't planning on causing trouble in the Empire, there's plenty of room for negotiation."

"...Nonsense."

"Why do you think I bothered to save Baal again? The name 'Baal' is too big to hold hostage. If things go wrong, then it's truly an all-out war between humans and devils. No one wants that."

That's right. Frondier's primary goal was to prevent war, no matter what.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"But Marco, you're the problem."

There, Frondier looked at Marco.

"Let me make it clear now, you're Satan's subordinate."

"Shut up...!"

Of course, it was Baal who was surprised by these words.

"...What? You, one of the 72 devils?"

The one thing he wanted to hide from Baal. Marco was Satan's subordinate. Currently.

"So you, following Satan's orders, wanted to somehow incite the western devils' battlefield within the Empire. In other words, if only you and Satan's devils don't interfere, I can always negotiate with the western devils."

Frondier was issuing a clear warning now.

"It's you who needs to choose sides clearly, Marco. Are you Satan's subordinate, or are you one of the 72 devils like Baal? Depending on which side you choose, I will decide your fate."

Arrogant words as if Marco's life was in Frondier's hands.

However, for Marco right now, those words were not an exaggeration at all.

"And if you're Satan's devil, you can keep your mouth shut. I'll slit your throat. But if you want to live, if you want to live as one of the 72 devils instead of Satan's subordinate."

Whoosh!

Along with Frondier's words, numerous sword blades born in the air instantly surrounded Marco.

"Ugh...!"

The blades aimed for his neck from all directions, ready to strike at any moment.

"You'll have to spit it all out. Why you crawled under Satan, what your purpose is. What the grudge and revenge the western devils have against the Empire's devils is."

"You...!"

"That's your way to live, Marchosias."