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Nearly all of the Eight-star Nightmare Steeds and Warhorses had left to cause trouble for the Hellhounds and the Purgatory Shadowcats. Yet what was supposed to be an easy mark ripe for the picking ended up causing them to nearly lose their teeth after a first bite… truly regrettable.

I would feel sorry for them, but I still had a lot of things to do right now… like stepping on some horses.

If those Eight-stars were here, they might have at least been able to stall my Devil King Idol -they were of the same star level, after all, even if they weren’t able to break through its defenses. Now, however, there was no one to stop me.

With no commander to hold them together and a giant construct running rampant amongst them, the remaining Warhorses either fled or died. Resistance was futile.

At this rate, their clan would definitely collapse. At least, that was how I thought it would end. Unfortunately for me, the battle came to an abrupt end before it could even reach that stage. A wave of pressure suddenly blanketed the entire battlefield. It was an Overlord.

The difference between an Eight-star and an Overlord was the difference between the natural and the supernatural. Once one crossed that threshold, it could be said that they were reborn. Should one fail however, they were forever a mortal. That was because an Overlord had to have a Territory. That was also why an Overlord’s pressure contained traces of the world’s laws. It wasn’t possible for any living creature below that threshold to resist that pressure, barring my golems, of course. They were dead.

“Stop!”

A voice of indeterminate gender or age transmitted directly into my head through the Devil King Idol. Just hearing that alone was enough to cause my body to seize up. With just that single word, I could tell that he possessed an extraordinary level of psychic power.

‘Definitely an Overlord… that was definitely an Overlord… an Overlord Nightmare Steed.’

‘Since even their strongest warrior has made their presence known, I had better show him the respect he is due.’ With that in mind, I immediately ordered all the golems to stop attacking and remain in place.

The rest of the Hellhounds and Purgatory Shadowcats all stopped their fighting as well. Lest one forgot, an Overlord was the equivalent of a walking nuclear bomb, if we were still back on Earth. As for a demi-god, best not think about it…

A Nightmare Steed clad in flames as black as his fur stepped forth from the horizon. As he stood still above the battlefield peering down on us, it almost seemed like we were ants staring high up at him.

“Devil, leave our clan’s territory at once, and I will spare your life.”

As that voice echoed across the field, I felt an invisible force bearing down on me, causing me to tremble even within the Devil King Idol’s pocket dimension. Was this an Overlord’s Territory? Or perhaps he wasn’t even using that power at all, but was simply using his understanding of the world’s laws to pressure me. Either way, I was in danger.

Regardless of who it was, or what creature they were, respect was something everyone valued. The difference was how much they valued it. An Overlord was undoubtedly a proud existence in Sable Radiance. With the entire region sealed up, an Overlord was the strongest warrior around, the true ruler of this plane.

Such a proud person would often value his dignity more than his life. An insult would bring about swift retribution, even if it meant death for himself.

I could use the promise Lucifer’s clone made to me to protect myself, but the question was whether I could even survive a single attack to begin with. Also, could I still revive if I died this time?

That last part wasn’t important now, so let’s put it aside first. After all, I definitely didn’t want to gamble on whether or not I would revive again. Naturally, I dared not gamble if this Overlord would attack in a fit of rage either.

Now that an Overlord had entered the fray, the battlefield immediately quietened down. No one dared attack or even single an inch despite the fact that he hadn’t done a thing yet. We were all cowed by his mere presence, worried about what he would do next.

An Overlord’s presence wasn’t something so easily ignored.

“If I do not, are you sure you wish to attack me?”

I finally squeezed out that question, albeit shakingly -I was just too weak when compared to him.

“Do you really think I won’t kill you?!”

That Overlord’s sharp gaze immediately stabbed into my body. Even with the Devil King Idol protecting, I could feel my skin crawling from his bared intent.

Terrifying. That was all I could say of him. For him to actually be able to affect me while I was inside the Devil King Idol was nothing short of a nightmare. Was this the power of an Overlord? Did an Overlord Nightmare Steed really possess the power to attack his opponents through space itself?

‘And exactly what should I do against an Overlord’s threats? There’s no hope now…maybe I should just give up? That would be so shameful… but then again… who said a person’s dignity is worth anything in the first place? Still, we’ve come so far already, and I even got two other clans to join me in attacking the Warhorses…is giving up really okay? Hold on… Hellhounds… Purgatory Shadowcats… both of them sent over a dozen Eight-stars to help me in this fight. That shows how important this fight was to both their clans. So wouldn’t it mean that they had a backup plan as well?’

‘After all, this fight is going to determine the future landscape of Sable Radiance. In other words, both their Overlords were most likely lurking somewhere also. Because they know that the Warhorses have their own Overlord!’

‘So that Hellhound Overlord and the mysterious Purgatory Shadowcat Overlord who I haven’t met yet are probably somewhere nearby. No. They are definitely here!’

With that in mind, my confidence immediately returned.

“I don’t mind leaving, but first you have to give me a Nightmare Steed’s horn, and also…”

“Impossible.” The Overlord Nightmare Steed flatly refused me, cutting me off before I could finish stating my terms. “You’ll get nothing from us. If you don’t leave now, you’ll die.”

“Kill me then.”

“You really think I won’t?!”

His howling was definitely up to par, but he still hadn’t acted yet. That was a sign. A sign that was highly beneficial to me. What I did just now was definitely a challenge to his authority, yet he still chose not to act! Even though he could simply snuff me out in an instant, he hesitated… so he really did not dare to act then?

My brain quickly processed that, after which I tested him again. “I think you should give it a try. Go ahead, do it.”

The Overlord Nightmare Steed’s eyes went wide as if they wanted to swallow me whole. “You’re not afraid of death then?”

If even that wasn’t enough to make him attack me, then this test was over. This time, I said nothing at all. Instead, I had my Devil King Idol kick a nearby Seven-star Warhorse. Having suffered such a sudden attack, that poor horse was immediately sent flying away, loudly crashing into the blood red ground that was then made redder by him spitting out blood.

My intention wasn’t to kill that horse, just wound it seriously. This was my last test. I was gambling if he would attack me out of anger. I was also gambling whether or not the Hellhounds and Purgatory Shadowcats had their own Overlords nearby.

Risky though that was, I had no choice but to do so. If I didn’t test his limits now, this operation was basically a failure. The aim of this war was simple: subjugate the Purgatory Warhorses. Failing that, we should at least destroy their base.

At least, that was what I had hoped would happen…

The strength of the Purgatory Warhorses weren’t necessarily stronger than the two clans combined, but they were definitely stronger than them individually.

“Insolent cur!”

Seeing me just attack without warning, that Overlord Nightmare Steed was thoroughly incensed. Yet just as he was about to attack me, another two waves of pressure swept across the field, startling everyone once more!

“Old friend, I see you’re still well and alive.”

Even though he hadn’t appeared yet, I immediately recognised that that was the voice of the Hellhound’s clan head.

That Overlord Nightmare Steed promptly calmed down as well. Even if he hated me to the core right now, he had no choice but to stay his hooves first.

“You blasted old dog! You were here, after all! And where’s that stupid cat?!” That Overlord Nightmare Steed brashly swore. “Once I’m done with that Devil, you can be sure I’ll pay the both of you a visit!”

“Stop pretending. If you really have the guts to do it, attack her then.”

That moment I heard that voice speak, I knew its owner wasn’t reliable at all. In all likelihood, that was the Overlord of the Purgatory Shadowcats.

“You really believe that I won’t…” The Nightmare Steed lifted up his hooves and the flames around him roared. Then…nothing happened. That’s right, he didn’t attack me in the end. He merely tried to.

“Why did you stop? Go on, I promise I won’t stop you.” That unreliable voice continued taunting the Overlord Nightmare Steed, as if not doing so would leave him feeling bad for the entire day. “Keep on acting tough, that’s all you’re good for anyway, stupid horse.”

“Curse you! You think I won’t kill you right this second?!”

I had to admit, for a cat whose morals were as cheap as chips, you couldn’t deny that his taunting skills were top notch. With just a couple of words, he immediately redirected the hate towards himself.

“Hah, my paws were starting to feel a little itchy anyway.” The Purgatory Shadowcats’ Overlord revealed himself, then pulled a face at his opponent before baring his claws in a taunting fashion. “Come. I’ll let you have the first move.”

“That Devil is definitely not someone I can attack… but that restriction doesn’t apply to you!”

It was at that moment that the Hellhound’s Overlord appeared as well. He took up position beside that cat, then with a cheeky grin on all three of his faces, said, “If you guys want to fight it out, I’m more than happy to stand aside and watch.”

Shameless Self-promotion

If you liked my work translating Devil’s Evolution Catalog, feel free to check out Song of Adolescence. Also, every comment is appreciated even though I might not reply. I do read them.