In the end the Demon King ordered such demon legion fleets as yet had strength to fight to make trial of dragging back the withdrawing angel and Owl Dragon legions, and so win time for his own relief to arrive.
The notion was a good one.
But in the doing of it, it did not go so smoothly.
Those demon legion fleets set to tangle with the withdrawing Owl Dragon and angel legions had, in the forty-eight hours of the campaign before, been frightened by the Owl Dragon Legion's way of fighting.
And though they carried out His Majesty the Demon King's order of pursuit honestly enough, they were the whole time exceedingly careful and wary; and let the pursued Owl Dragon and angel legions make the least movement, they would break off the pursuit.
The feeling of it was for all the world like a few huskies lately beaten, still trying the edge of death in a frenzy.
This manner of tangling answered exceedingly ill.
So that by the time the Demon King's relief arrived, the demon legion fleets charged with the pursuit had very nearly followed them to the Angel Race's earliest line.
Which set the Demon King another hard question.
Fight on? Or choose to give it up?
By the case as it now stands, to fight on would turn it into a battle of storming fortified ground.
For no few of the angel legions and of the Owl Dragon Legion have already withdrawn within the Angel Race's defensive works in its own territory, and hold the advantage of a defender's fight.
Whereas upon the Demon King's side, saving the relief come the long way in support, the other demon legions' state of battle may be called exceedingly poor, and their spirit is very low besides.
Fight or not fight?
The Demon King sat upon his throne and was silent.
"Your Majesty, our legions have the heart to fight; but what help is there when the legion fleets' state is so ill? Though we carried the day at the last, our legions must take grievous losses!" the holographic image of the Serpent King Legion's marshal said.
Though no word of not fighting was in the speech, the meaning within it is plain enough.
"The Owl Dragon Legion is exceedingly cunning; we do not know how many cards they have yet unplayed.
"To fight on now, we stand at a disadvantage.
"Better to rest a while and take longer counsel," the Wrath Legion's marshal said.
"I agree to it," said the Black Angel Legion's marshal.
These two demon marshals are, saving the King-of-the-North who has fallen, those the Demon King most values, and the legions in their hands are picked ones besides.
Only that in the fighting before this they too had felt the Owl Dragon Legion's mighty capacity for war.
And are exceedingly wary within.
The Demon King drew a deep breath, and swept a deep gaze across the several demon marshals present.
Set against former times, a full half are wanting.
The Red Demon Legion, the Ghoul Legion, the Demon-Crocodile Legion, the Agares Legion, the Hell-Baron Legion, the King-of-the-North Legion.
And the remaining six demon legions have taken no small casualties after this campaign besides.
To fight on further, though they carried the day, it would be a victory won at grievous cost.
Which is not the end the Demon King wants.
"Pass my order: choose fit places within these several star systems, and build front-line camps.
"And order the several bases of production to quicken the speed of their building, and strengthen our armament!
"I will have more interstellar warships; put every resource we hold into the building of warships, and make up what we may of our several demon legions' losses."
The Demon King gave the order, his face set.
"Yes!" the body of demon marshals said.
The holographic projections before the throne dispersed.
The Demon King stood up and walked out of the bridge in silence, and went straight back to his captain's chamber.
Having gone in, he saw a figure sitting upon the sofa.
"Your Majesty, you are come." A voice like a machine's rose.
The Demon King narrowed his eyes at this one in the black cloak.
"You are alive yet?
"I heard that you were taken by the Owl Dragon Legion within the Mechanical Divine Church's holy ground?
"Did the Owl Dragon's lord let you go?" The Demon King walked opposite the black-cloaked one and looked him over.
"We are parts of the will of a great existence cast into this universe; we are one, and we are numberless besides.
"That fellow of ours sacrificed his flesh for the great existence's holy ideal, and his will has gone back to that great existence.
"I congratulate him from my heart." The black-cloaked one crossed both hands upon his breast.
A thread of contempt flickered at the bottom of the Demon King's eyes.
"Hmph. Speak, then.
"What have you to say in seeking me out?" the Demon King said coldly.
"Your Majesty has need of our help," said the black-cloaked one.
"You have not even your own holy ground left you now.
"What is there you can help me with?" the Demon King snorted coldly.
"Can Your Majesty suppose we have but the one base?" said the black-cloaked one.
And the black-cloaked one's body floated up.
The Demon King raised one hand and made the gesture of gripping at empty air, and a black breath came off him.
"So then — you, or the organization behind you, have been deceiving me all this while?"
Though he marked that he might die at any moment, this black-cloaked one said levelly for all that, "Your Majesty, we stand in a relation of partners.
"You have your secrets, and we naturally have ours."
Crash.
The Demon King flung his hand out, and this black-cloaked one was flung away outright, his whole body dashed against the wall, and that wall was driven into a pit by it.
And the black-cloaked one fell heavily to the floor, and the black robe upon him was gone.
Showing a body of mechanical structure from head to foot.
And though all of it be mechanical structure, yet under that heavy stroke just now no few parts of the body were caved in.
"Your Majesty must be a little calmer.
"Were it any other carbon-based life, flung so by you, it would never rise again." The black-robed robot rocked its body and stood up once more.
"Speak, then; how would you cooperate this time?" The Demon King watched the black-robed robot coldly.
The black-robed robot's head twitched somewhat, and one could see some current of electricity in it.
By the look of it that heavy stroke had done its body no little harm.
"We can furnish Your Majesty five bases of industrial building, within which we have already fitted a whole set of mechanical fully automatic programs of production — industrial bases of T5 grade.
"Furnish the raw materials only, and any class of interstellar warship whose technology is held may be produced.
"With these five bases of industrial building, Your Majesty's host may be built up within the shortest time.
"For raw materials, after all, is what you do not lack," the black-robed robot said with a smile.
The Demon King snorted coldly; he knows that the raw materials of which the other speaks bear in truth a double meaning.
"What would you have me do?"
"Within the programs by which these bases of industrial building work, a timed program is set.
"You hold the rights for one year.
"But you must within that year drive into the Machine Race's mechanical royal capital, and destroy the greatest building there.
"Else, at the term, these five industrial bases will all cease to work." The black-robed robot spoke out its object.
"The Machine Race? You would have me open war with the Machine Race?
"You must know how mighty a strength the Machine Race holds!
"I am at present no match for them — and the more so with that cursed Owl Dragon before me!" The Demon King drew his brows together.
"Set your mind at rest; the Machine Race now is at its most brittle," the black-robed robot said, and the corner of its mouth twitched a little, as though it would show a smile.
Which came out exceedingly uncanny.
"Good; I agree to it," said the Demon King.
"May His Majesty the Demon King's fortune in arms be glorious." The black-robed robot raised a hand and opened five coordinate star charts.
Thereafter its body burned with black flame, and in the end not so much as a cinder was left of it.
The Demon King looked at the place where the black-robed robot had been, and then at those five coordinate star charts.
There was madness within his gaze. "So long as I may take this universe, what matter though I bargain with the most evil existence there is!"