One in a black robe walked into the palace of the Demon King's castle.
Ta, ta, ta.
His boots trod upon the red liquid, and passed without hesitating over a severed limb upon the floor.
"Your Majesty — how is it you are angered again?"
The Demon King opened his eyes and looked at the black-robed one before him.
"One of my quasi-T6 Destroyer-class Heavy Interstellar Battleships has been destroyed by the enemy.
"And the enemy paid a bare ten T5 warships and less for it!
"Which has led directly to my local field holding down the Angel Race standing at a disadvantage."
The black-robed one said, "That is nothing out of the way; the Destroyer is after all no true T6 warship, but quasi-T6 only.
"Were it a true T6 warship, then let alone a few T5 warships.
"Set even a hundred T5 warships before a true T6 warship, and they are so much dross."
The Demon King narrowed his eyes upon this creature. "By your manner of speaking, you have a true T6 warship in your hands?"
"I said before that here with us there is whatever His Majesty the Demon King may want.
"Have we not all this while been answering Your Majesty's wishes?" said the black-robed one.
"Ha. Answering?
"To bring out one thing at a time — is that called answering?
"I feel rather that you do but tempt me, to have your business done for you." The air about the Demon King was very strong, as though he would grind this black-robed one to powder.
"Tempt?
"No, no, no; we had rather this were called a dealing between friends, or a working together," said the black-robed one.
The Demon King fixed his eyes upon him. "Then how shall a true T6 warship be given me?"
"When you make good our promise from before, and destroy the Machine Race's royal court," said the black-robed one.
"What in the end is within that Machine Race royal court, that you should cleave to it so?" The Demon King narrowed his eyes, as though he would see clean through the one before him.
"That there is no need for Your Majesty to know.
"Your Majesty need only understand that the day you break the Machine Race's royal court is the day you hold a true T6 warship!" The black-robed one said it, bowing.
The Demon King said coldly, "I would too.
"But I need more warships, more quasi-T6 Destroyers.
"Whether upon the field of the Machine Race's royal court or upon the field against the Angel Race, I need more warships.
"For it must be remembered there is an Owl Dragon Legion that has not, this whole while, put out a hand!"
"Let Your Majesty but furnish more raw materials, and we are naturally willing to produce more warships for you," said the black-robed one.
"Have I not been sending raw materials to those five industrial bases by the weekly requirement already!" The Demon King drew his brows together.
"Those raw materials are enough; but certain other raw materials fall far short still.
"And the more so as Your Majesty would have more warships besides." The black-robed one wore a helpless air.
The Demon King knows besides what raw materials the other speaks of.
"Very well; I shall answer your requirement.
"And the warships supplied each week — I will have them raised by 30 percent!" the Demon King said, his face set.
"Most willingly do we serve Your Majesty," said the black-robed one.
Thereafter the black-robed one left the palace.
Several trusted demons were summoned by the Demon King.
"Your Majesty, what are your orders?"
The trusted demons looked at the fresh blood and the corpses within the palace as at a thing grown usual.
Were these things not here, they would find it strange.
"Go and carry more raw materials to those five star systems," the Demon King said coldly.
Hearing this order.
One trusted demon looked at His Majesty with misgiving. "Your Majesty, the several planetary breeding-grounds we have raised up can no longer answer by any means to our present need of those raw materials.
"And should we quarry them past measure, that will bring trouble upon the production hereafter."
"Then go and find them elsewhere.
"Within our Demon Race's territory there are so many star systems, so many planets — can we be short of such people?
"Those low interstellar races: we shelter them, we give them planets to live upon, and now is the time for them to repay us," the Demon King said coldly.
The trusted demon lowered his head and gulped. "Your Majesty, this while past we have already quietly made collections upon several out-of-the-way planets.
"But even so, some ill rumor has already risen abroad.
"And should we go on in this way… it may very well work upon your prestige and your rule within the Demon Race!"
"Work upon my rule?
"Ha ha ha ha — do you say those base races would dare betray me!" The Demon King laughed coldly, and said, "Their lives are mine every one.
"For our war, ought they not to lay down a little of their lives?
"Trouble not about these things, but do as I have ordered!
"These raw materials supplied each week are to rise by five parts in ten.
"And should the number fall short, then out of your own territories, out of your own peoples, find men to make it up!
"Is that understood!"
The trusted demons dared put forward no further objection, for they know that the lord Demon King would truly dare do it.
"We obey…"
——————
The Holy Dragon Angel Legion
The angel Tilia let out a long breath, sat in her own captain's chair, and rubbed at her temples.
"It is splendid — we have destroyed a Demon Race quasi-T6 Destroyer-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship!
"And this is the first kill of one besides!
"I hear that upon the Machine Race's side they have not destroyed so much as one quasi-T6 Destroyer!" Her adjutant beside her was full of joy.
Should this record go back to the Angel Race's high officers, it must assuredly be another great merit.
"But we have paid no small price besides.
"We have lost so many T5 warships." The angel Tilia said it with a heavy look.
"To destroy a quasi-T6 Destroyer-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship — how should it be done without paying some price?
"Upon the Machine Race's side, I hear, they have lost near a million warships and have not destroyed even one quasi-T6 Destroyer.
"Which shows that we are the stronger for all that!" her adjutant said with a laugh.
The bridge was filled throughout with the joy of having destroyed the mightiest of enemy ships.
The angel Tilia looked at her own bridge with a smile, and said nothing further; and indeed this is a time for everyone to enjoy their gladness.
She looked at the star chart before her, which takes in the whole line of the Angel Race against the Demon Race.
Once word of her side's killing a quasi-T6 Destroyer gets abroad, it must assuredly hearten the whole line, and every local field will gain the advantage.
By rights the case should be said to have bettered by no little.
But for some cause the angel Tilia had within her a misgiving that would not be still.
As though this war had but this moment lifted the curtain upon a prologue.
There was a feeling as of something pressing upon her until she could not draw breath.
The angel Tilia looked at the wreck of that quasi-T6 Destroyer within the picture, and put a hand over her own breast.
She said to herself, "It may be that I am too weary this while.
"But I must find means for the Angel Kings to purchase more T5 warships from the Owl Dragon.
"And urge the Owl Dragon Legion besides to enter this war as soon as may be."
Calling to mind the Owl Dragon Legion's mighty strength in war, the gloom within the angel Tilia's breast seemed to disperse by no little.