#724 A Mobile Deity

It’s everyone’s favorite demon boy, Diablo!

Right now, the hottest trend in the capital is the deity figurines sold by Pandemonium.

You can modify it and create your own unique god figurine.

It’s an excellent means of self-expression, yeah!

All the hip people in Demon Capital each have their unique figurine!

They show off their creations to each other every day!

***

“Heheh! Diablo! Your Z-Hades is looking sharp today!”

“Belzeb, my eternal rival and friend! I can see your Victory-Hades has been further refined!”

We tune the most standard Hades figurine, used as the base for modifications, psyching up our skills and spirits.

Polishing, painting, the beauty and naturalness of added parts.

Only Belzeb and I maintain the highest standards in these areas.

In order to not lose to him, I have added other extras to my trusty figurine, Z-Hades!

An additional armament! I’ve increased the volume by adding a DIY sword to the trident I took from the Poseidon figurine!

I made sure the paint matched so it won’t look out of place. The main colors are a bright and refreshing white and blue two-tone!

It’s like a messenger of justice!

“Heh, as usual, you like the obvious hero feel, Diablo!”

Belzeb’s figurine is completely black from head to toe!

It’s an all-black Hades!

“Black is the color of the strong! It’s strong and edgy! Behold the coolness of my all-black Victory-Hades!!!”

Belzeb!

Well, an all-black color scheme is a somewhat common idea for boys our age, but in his case, the accompanying technique is first-rate. There are no uneven spots in the paint, and it’s perfectly matte, setting his all-black Hades apart from the rest.

What high quality...!

Can boys our age really achieve such a finish? You didn’t get your dad to help you, did you?

“...”

“Belzeb?”

A-Anyway, Belzeb is a worthy opponent to show off my top-notch quality!

Because we compete with each other, neither I nor my Z-Hades are satisfied with the status quo! We keep evolving forever!

There’s no end to our battles, my friend!!!

And so, as we were showing off our works of art on the street corner today...

“Hmmhmhm♪ ...Oh?”

A stranger passed by.

A young and beautiful woman?! We’re right in the throes of puberty, so just having a woman approach us makes us feel strange!

“Could those be... the Deity Figurine Series sold by Pandemonium?”

You sure know your stuff, lady!

But it’s not just a figurine! It’s a unique figurine packed with our style and technique!

Look, look! This part opens up, and a sword pops out!

“Oh... you’ve done a great job!”

You understand the greatness of this gimmick? You have quite an eye, lady!

Can I ask your name?!

“Me? I’m... known as the Self-Proclaimed Incompetent, Belena!”

Belena?

But what’s with that self-deprecating nickname?

Are you okay, Belena? Are you not having trouble at work?

“Don’t worry. I’ve overcome those struggles long ago. More importantly, I didn’t realize the Deity Figurine Series was so well-received in the market. I’ve heard about it from research but hadn’t seen them in person until now. Lucky me.”

Huh? From the way she talks...

Could it be that Belena is involved with the figurines?

“That’s right. I was visiting Pandemonium today to check on the sales trend of the figurines and the prospects of new products. The sales are a bit different from our expectations, but it’s not unusual.”

An insider! An insider has finally noticed our work?!

This is amazing, Belzeb! It’s a great opportunity to directly convey our passion to the producer!

Now is the time to make our appeal...!

...By the way, Beelzebub?

You haven’t said a word since she came. Is something wrong?

“Um! That, um...! She’s...! Pre-pre-prepre...!”

Belzeb is freaking outtttt!

I see. Belena is a beautiful lady, so the shy and innocent Belzeb is frozen and can’t speak!

All right, it’s up to me to step up!

I’m still mentally young, so I can interact without being conscious about gender!

“Look, look, Miss! My one and only, tough, and transformable figurine!”

I show off my pride and joy, Z-Hades!

“I’ve worked hard to remodel this Hades figurine into a cool one! Its name is Z-Hades!”

“Wow, it’s really cool...!”

As expected of someone involved in the production, she recognizes its value!

Though she seems to be just being polite!

“There’s currently a trend among the city children to create their own modifications with the Deity Figurines! Oh, oh! And! Look at how its limbs move flexibly!”

I demonstrate by twisting and turning the hands and feet of my Z-Hades!

“I disassembled the body parts, inserted joint pieces, and then reassembled it! This modification was a big hit among my hobby friends, and now everyone’s copying it!”

“Hmm, it’s a very novel idea indeed. I wonder who came up with it.”

Surprised, huh? You can copy it if you like!

“If the joints can move, maybe we could do something like this?”

Huh? You want to borrow it for a bit?

Sure, but handle it with care. Z-Hades is my treasure.

“Let’s see, I should have some on hand... Ah, here they are. I’ll attach these to the figurine’s arms and legs...!”

Huh? What are you doing, Belena? 

Please don’t break my Z-Hades!

“...It’s done! I’ve attached magic stones to different parts of the figurine. Stones that move in response to magic!”

“Whaaaaat?!”

“A small one on each hand, foot, head, and one on the torso. Let’s see what happens if I invoke magic to make them move...!”

Wait... Whaaaaat?!

It’s moving!

My Z-Hades is standing and walking on the ground?!

“Is this thanks to your modification, Belena? My Z-Hades is moving as if it’s alive!”

“Once you get a grip on it, controlling it is relatively easy... like so...!”

Ohh!

It pulled out the sword and raised it! Then brought it down!

My Z-Hades!!!

“Amazing, Belena! Hey, can I do this too?”

“As long as you can perform basic magic manipulation, yes. It’s a small toy, so the weight isn’t much of a concern. Rather than the amount of mana, the precision of operation is required.”

Urk. Calling it a toy is quite disrespectful.

This is my soulmate Z-Hades!

“Most demons possess mana, so it can be operated sufficiently with a basic amount. All that’s left is to refine your magic manipulation. The only way to improve that is to practice.”

“Can I do it? Can I?”

“Of course, you’re a demon too, so you have a knack for magic.”

Yahoo!

Belena, you’re amazing! This modification is sure to set off a new trend!

Being able to move the figurine I assembled by myself... The possibilities are endless!

By the way, Belena!

Can I claim this modification as my idea?!

Then, I’ll be a hero starting tomorrow!!