Three days after our return to the western capital, King Azuma of Nakayama issued a total mobilization order to all the Kijin tribes throughout the demon world.

As the term suggests, this was a proclamation to mobilize all Kijin, men and women, the elderly and children, the rich and the poor, to engage in a grand battle against the enemy.

The objective was to capture the Demon gate. The enemy was the gatekeeper, the Mitsurugi family, as referred to by the Kijin.

Of course, the trigger for this mobilization order was the information I had brought to Nakayama.

Naturally, Azuma did not merely take my word for it. The decision was made based on multiple testimonies, including reports from Kagari and those remaining in the main temple from Suomi, affirming that my report was factual.

However, it goes without saying that including the elderly and children in the fight against the Mitsurugi family was meaningless. For the higher-ranked warriors, the sheer number of people made no difference. Even a single Kei technique would either burn the conscripted Kijin like leaves or send them soaring through the air; either way, they would not stand a chance.

Azuma was aware of this. Still, he issued the total mobilization order to minimize the impact of the betrayal by the Light God temple.

Kagari explained, “The Light God temple, which had sealed the serpent with us, turned out to be a group worshiping the serpent, secretly conspiring with the gatekeeper. Such news would cause an uproar in Nakayama. Especially if it became known that the saint who sealed the serpent was actually an apostle of the serpent, the leader of a betrayal three hundred years ago. Among us Kijin, there are many followers of Light God temple. It could even lead to Kijin killing each other.”

Among the Kijin who had embraced the Light God religion, there were soldiers, bureaucrats, women, and the elderly. There might be some like the former royal family of the Five Mountains, whom I had cut down in Demon Island, and even Kagari’s brother, Hakuro, was a follower of Light God religion.

These people were unaware of the Pope’s actions, but for other Kijin, accepting “we didn’t know anything” wasn’t easy.

Even if it didn’t lead to immediate killing, emotional criticism and denunciation would surely occur. From the perspective of the Light God temple followers, they were being blamed for something they had no part in, which could lead to emotional backlash.

And if both sides were driven by their emotions, it would not be long before verbal disputes escalated into violent conflicts.

Kagari continued, “If that happens, our hard-earned unity will be for naught. We would be killing each other, plunging the demon world back into a divided and chaotic era. That’s exactly the situation brother Azuma wants to avoid. But trying to conceal the matter of Light God temple is impossible. The Pope is dead, the main temple is in ruins. Suomi is trying to rebuild, but the temple will surely split, and there will be followers who leave the temple. It’s impossible to silence all of them. The betrayal of Light God temple will inevitably spread throughout the demon world.”

While doing knee bends, Kagari spoke.

I listened to Kagari and spoke about the reason Azuma had to choose this; indeed, he had no choice but to issue the total mobilization order.

“If it’s going to spread anyway, it’s easier to manage the situation if the king communicates the truth from his own mouth as soon as possible. If we gather all the Kijin tribes in the western capital, we can prevent any disputes from escalating into major incidents. If necessary, by force.”

“That’s right. If we fight among ourselves before the battle with the gatekeeper, that’s exactly what they want. With this logic, most will understand, and even if they don’t, they can swallow their dissatisfaction with the Temple of the Light God at least until the battle with the gatekeeper is over.”

Kagari, while stretching his legs one after the other, said, “We could even let the followers of the Temple of the Light God take the lead in battle. It might seem like punishing them, but if the Kijin who believed in the Temple of the Light God seriously fight against the Mitsurugi family, the rest of the Kijin might believe that they too were deceived.”

Either way, Nakayama wants to avoid the situation where the recently unified brethren fall apart because of this incident. To do this, it is necessary to gather the Kijin tribes from all over the demon world in one place and provide them with a powerful enemy so that internal strife is impossible. That’s what this total mobilization order was for.

When I said this, Kagari nodded and added another reason.

“If it’s true that the demon world is disappearing, we need to act now. Gathering brethren from all over the demon world will take at least a month, even with a conservative estimate. It’s better to have as much time as possible, not just men but also women, children, and the elderly. Trusting the words of the Pope that it will be fine for a year or two is too optimistic.”

Like me, Nakayama is acting on the assumption of the worst-case scenario. After finishing his words, Kagari jumped up and down on the spot, checking his physical condition.

Looking at it this way, the total mobilization order at this stage seems quite rational, but gathering the residents of a country in one place has many disadvantages.

Simply preparing the necessary water and food would be difficult. We can’t leave the gathered people exposed to the elements, so many dwellings are also necessary.

There is enough morale due to the objective of liberating the demon world, but that won’t last forever.

Humans don’t think well when they’re cold, dark, and hungry. Neglecting this could direct the dissatisfaction of the soldiers towards the king and his brother.

In short, Nakayama has to gather all the Kijin in one place, minimize the impact of the betrayal by the Temple of the Light God, and defeat the Mitsurugi family in a short time. Only by capturing the gate and returning to the continent can Nakayama achieve its goal. Conversely, failing in any one of these aspects would put Nakayama in crisis.

This total mobilization order could be described as Nakayama’s last stand.

‘Depending on my negotiations with the Mitsurugi family, this could escalate into a bloody war.’

As I thought about this, Kagari, as if to say “Ready!” clenched his fist tightly and smiled at me.

“That’s why let’s fight to the death, Sora.”

“Wait. That doesn’t make sense.”

“Why would we fight each other in the current context? And when you say ‘fight,’ you definitely mean a fight to the death, not just a match.”

Well, I did think it was strange that he was diligently warming up his body in the middle of our conversation!

When I objected, Kagari tilted his head in confusion and then began to explain slowly.

“Think about it. Suppose you and I have a fight to the death here.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Of course, the soldiers will be watching us.”

As I nodded again, Kagari, pointing his index finger, continued proudly.

“If we fight seriously, not just the soldiers but all the Kijin in the western capital will notice. They’ll wonder who this human fighting me is and look up your name. This way, Sora’s name will spread throughout the western capital, no, throughout Nakayama.”

“Well, that might happen…?”

“They will see you fighting me on equal terms and think it’s a bad idea to make an enemy of you. If they can’t make an enemy of you, then they should join you. It’s simple. Brother Azuma is favorable towards you, and Brother Dōga recognizes you, but there are still many who don’t. After all, you’re associated with the gatekeepers and the one who destroyed the Pope. Depending on how you look at it, you could be seen as the root cause of everything.”

Hearing this, I nodded in agreement. Indeed, from the Kijin’s perspective, my actions must seem quite suspicious.

Then Kagari raised his voice as if to dispel my worries.

“So, engage in a duel with me in front of everyone and demonstrate your strength, Sora! Then the other brethren will surely accept you!”

“I see!”

“It’s not that I’m just looking for an excuse because Dōga fought you and I didn’t have the chance. It’s not unfair at all!”

He’s practically confessing, this royal brother.

Well, having the chance to seriously fight someone of Kagari’s level is something I would very much welcome.

When I agreed, Kagari laughed heartily and clapped his fists together in front of his chest.

“Exactly, that’s quick to understand! Then let’s get to it. I’ve been looking forward to this moment since we first met on that island. Soul equipment activation—Devour everything, Gluttonous Beast!”

Coincidentally, Kagari’s sword-drawing phrase was the same as mine.

With a roaring voice, the air creaked and groaned.

The next moment, it slowly oozed out from Kagari’s body and revealed itself.