Akatsuki Translations

Mirage effortlessly dodged the attacks that came his way, twisting his upper body with a dancer’s grace. He was no greenhorn, easily dealing with the ambush that had been sprung on him twice in quick succession.

But the assault was unrelenting, leaving him no room to breathe.

His adversary was a man dressed in military uniform, his silver hair flowing like that of Astarte, hidden behind spectacles. In his hand was a large scythe, seemingly aimed for Mirage’s throat. Unfazed by the recoil of his first swing, the man readied his second strike.

“Gate!” -Mirage

In the blink of an eye, Mirage was elsewhere, transported by a teleportation spell. His new location was within sight, but in the confines of the room, his options were limited. He had chosen a desk piled high with paperwork for his escape, a place far from safety and easily discovered.

“Gate!” -Mirage

And then came the third strike, papers fluttering in the wake of the sliced air, and Mirage once again vanished, shifting to another spot. A second weakness of his teleportation magic revealed itself — the longer the distance, the more time it needed to cast. It was a matter of mere seconds, but under these circumstances, it could be fatal. He didn’t have the luxury to move to a safe spot marked by his magic seal.

Ideally, he would have teleported outside the room or even outside the window, but those options had already been blocked. Thick curtains obscured the light and the door was shut. There was no way out.

“Gate!” -Mirage

The remaining options were to dodge the attacks using teleportation and then find a way out before the next attack, or to counterattack directly after foreseeing the enemy’s attack. However, the speed of the enemy’s attacks was too fast. Mirage was running out of time to teleport, as the enemy seemed to predict where his gaze would go next.

“Damn his speed,” Mirage found himself involuntarily gritting his teeth.

The third weakness of his teleportation magic was that without using a magic seal, the destination was limited to within his line of sight. In a wide-open space, or outside, this wouldn’t be a disadvantage; in fact, it could even be beneficial. However, in his current situation, it was nothing but a hindrance.

He tried to mix in some feints with his gaze, but if the enemy could see through such tricks, he wouldn’t be struggling in the first place.

“Ga-…” -Mirage

“It’s checkmate. Mirage-kun, right? You mostly just tried to escape, but relying solely on teleportation magic isn’t a bad strategy.” -Belzebuth

The man adjusted his glasses, which had slid down due to the intense movement, with his right hand and declared his victory. With his left hand, he easily held the large scythe, its tip aimed at Mirage’s throat. Even if it was a poor move, Mirage had no other choice.

He was up against an attack that was faster than his own physical capabilities. Until now, he had been able to handle anything with his teleportation magic, but this opponent was beyond Mirage’s understanding.

“Should I compliment you with, ‘As expected of Belzebuth-sama, one of the Four Heavenly Kings’?” -Mirage

“Haha, it’s not that I’m exceptional. There are a few who can do this… a few.” -Belzebuth

Quite a few… In other words, there were still those in the Demon Lord’s army whom Mirage couldn’t match.

This was why the Demon Lord had transferred him here, Mirage realized. He had been somewhat aware that he was over-relying on teleportation magic in combat, but until now, it had not been a problem.

He hadn’t felt threatened because he thought he was safe within the Demon Lord’s army. However, he was defeated easily when he was targeted right after teleporting to Astarte. Even though he was on guard the next time, he was not given the chance to escape.

The speed of his teleportation magic and his physical abilities were exposed as issues. He had heard that Belzebuth’s army, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, was strictly disciplined and had intense training. If he was to serve as a deputy here, he would be required to have comparable abilities.

“I will strive daily to be able to fulfill my duties as deputy.” -Mirage

“Good, good. I welcome subordinates like you who understand quickly. Honestly, depending on your response, Mirage-kun… No, it’s too late to say this now. I welcome you, Mirage-kun. Work to your heart’s content as my right hand, alongside Astarte.” -Belzebuth

At Mirage’s gallant attitude, Belzebuth grinned and expressed his welcome. It seemed that his response had been correct, Mirage thought, feeling a sense of relief.

Of course, Mirage had no intention of working tirelessly to fulfill his duties. But he couldn’t help but wonder if this was really okay. He had joined the Demon Lord’s army to earn a living and had no intention of sucking up to his superior to get promoted.

However, he had a certain attachment to the teleportation magic he had inherited from his father, and he didn’t want to admit defeat so easily. According to Belzebuth, depending on his response, he could have been pushed back under the Demon Lord, but Mirage’s pride wouldn’t allow that.

At the very least, he decided that there was something to be gained by becoming this man’s deputy.

“What… What are you doing…? The room… The documents… are all a mess! Who do you think… Who do you think… is organizing this every day!” -Astarte

At the entrance of the office stood Astarte, her face like a wrathful deity, glaring at the two of them with a trembling hand gripping a large scythe. Documents were scattered all over the room, many torn or sliced.

Although Astarte was not usually expressive, her anger was clearly visible. When Mirage glanced sideways at Belzebuth, he saw that while he wore a relaxed smile, there was a certain tension about him.

“Mirage-kun, let me give you a piece of advice early on in your posting. My daughter is the cutest in the world, even amongst all demons, resembling her mother. But when she gets angry, she’s terrifying. When a woman is angry, all a man can do is apologize profusely or whisper sweet nothings. Remember that.” -Belzebuth

“…I will bear that in mind.” -Mirage

Belzebuth muttered quietly, his dignity as the head of the Silver Horned demon tribe nowhere to be seen.

“Belzebuth-sama! I don’t mind if you want to test the newbie’s abilities, but please choose your location wisely! If you do this in the office, you should easily imagine that this would happen, right?” -Astarte

“Well, Tart, you’re absolutely right. Just like my daughter to be so wise, that’s what I love about you. I’d be happy if you’d call me Papa like you used to, my dear Tart.” -Belzebuth

At Belzebuth’s words, Astarte’s face turned increasingly red, and she glared at Mirage. Tart was a surprisingly cute nickname, and she used to call him Papa? Mirage was a little surprised, but he made sure not to let his gaze wander.

Although he thought it was fine for a girl to call her father Papa, saying something unnecessary would lead to trouble. Therefore, Mirage read the room and maintained his silence. As the Eastern proverb says, “Silence is golden, eloquence is silver.” Knowing when to be quiet is important.

“…I will report this matter to Mother.” -Astarte

“W-Wait a moment. It’s not fair to tell Ina. Besides, it’ll undermine my dignity when Mirage-kun is around.” -Belzebuth

“Who cares. It’s fine if Father gets scolded by Mother.” -Astarte

It seemed that Belzebuth’s anger was directed at Silver this time.

Belzebuth appeared quite flustered, but just how terrifying of a presence was his wife, Ina? However, despite being feared by one of the Four Heavenly Kings, who were known by grand titles such as Wise King and Tyrant, it seemed he did not possess any sort of dignity when it came to his wife.

Mirage couldn’t help but feel a little envious of Astarte, who could exchange such banter with her father like this. They were no longer the Four Heavenly Kings and a deputy of the Demon Lord’s army; they were just a father and daughter.

Mirage had imagined a strict and troublesome boss, considering Belzebuth’s reputation, but it seemed that the workplace was surprisingly comfortable. He began to think that way.

However, that illusion wouldn’t last for long. Starting the next day, Mirage would come to know the true nature of Belzebuth of the Four Heavenly Kings, personally.