◆ Demon Lord Castle – King’s Chamber ◆
【The Demon Lord’s passive skill activates! No Motion!】
When something approaches me without any preliminary movement from a standing position, I can’t help but feel a surge of panic. With a speed that seems almost instantaneous, the Demon Lord swings his massive arm, and before I can even register it, his claw-like fingers, sharp as a sword, are thrusting toward me.
Everything feels like teleportation; before I know it, the attack is right upon me. They say there’s no time to breathe, and perhaps this is what they mean.
“The Demon Lord’s No Motion… It’s one of the strongest skills that erases the initial movements of all attacks and skills. But the fact that he can handle it so easily is even more terrifying…”
Eeks mutters something under his breath. I can’t feel happy about being called ‘terrifying’—why isn’t he saying ‘amazing’? I can’t believe Eeks would join Kurinka in calling me a monster.
I don’t want that! I’m not a monster. I’m human. I refuse to believe I’m the same as that Demon Lord Army.
“I don’t want that!”
“What do you mean?!”
“Kurinka! Use Speed Force!”
【Kurinka casts Speed Force! Rua’s speed increases!】
I don’t care about No Motion; I’ll overwhelm him with speed.
【Rua’s attack!】
Without hesitation, just like when I defeated Bathram, I strike at the Demon Lord’s back with my blade. No Motion may not change his reaction speed, and that’s what this situation reveals. Even the Demon Lord can’t keep up with my speed; it feels like the outcome is already decided.
【The Demon Lord casts Fatal Mirror!】
“…!?”
【Rua takes 4695 damage! HP 37265/41960】
It was a strange phenomenon. The blade pierced not the Demon Lord’s back but empty space. Just as I thought my Disballade had vanished, the blade was suddenly right in front of me. The abruptness of it caused my reaction to lag, and while it wasn’t a deep wound, I still took damage.
In other words, I ended up gashing myself with my own Disballade thrust. I hadn’t felt pain like that in a long time, and to think it was from my own attack.
“Heal!”
【Kurinka casts Heal! Rua’s HP is fully restored!】
When faced with an unknown skill, it’s best to create some distance. But I can’t afford to relax; I need to quickly surround the Demon Lord at high speed, not giving him a moment to breathe. I slash at him little by little, retreating and repeating the process, but even then, the blades come back at me. It feels as if only the area around the Demon Lord exists in a different world.
“You’ve made it this far. But it’s still not enough.”
His mocking smile contrasts sharply with the wild fury he displayed moments ago. When he says ‘not enough,’ is he referring to my strength?
“I hear you’re the child born under that moderate faction. If that’s the case, I can guess your physical abilities…”
“No! I’m human!”
“That’s not true. The blood of monsters flows within you. You were born from a human with filthy cells implanted by those creatures.”
“I told you that’s not true!”
“Come with us. It’s not too late. You must have felt it too, right? The negative emotions of humans who have witnessed such power.”
“…! But!”
【The Demon Lord casts Tempest!】
A storm and lightning coalesce into a swirling mass, floating in the air. From each point, bolts of lightning and fierce winds are unleashed. In an instant, they obliterate the entire hall, and even the uppermost floor of the Demon Lord Castle is completely erased.
With the ceiling and walls gone, the relentless blizzard from outside pours in. Kurinka might end up getting caught by Cocytus again.
【Rua takes 823 damage! HP 41137/41960】
“Are you okay?!”
【Kurinka casts Rainbow Barrier! The Demon Lord’s Tempest deals 1733 damage to Kurinka! HP 18667/20400】
“Yeah… I won’t be a burden this time…”
Even Kurinka, who had transformed into a dragon, couldn’t fully withstand that. If I think about it, the Rainbow Barrier might withstand Cocytus to some extent. But that alone doesn’t explain it; it was strange that Kurinka regained consciousness just before entering the Demon Lord Castle.
“Tch… Dogra. What are you thinking?”
As the Demon Lord looks up, the dragon continues to swirl around. Could that dragon be trying to help us? But why?
“The Jet-Black Earth Dragon Dogra is said to bring happiness to those who see it, but in reality, it only acknowledges those it deems worthy. Hmph, I don’t know what it’s thinking, but if it defies me—!”
【The Demon Lord launches Black Spear!】
“!! What are you doing?!”
From the Demon Lord’s palm, a thin, black spear-like projectile shoots forth. It seems to be shrouded in smoke as it flies toward Dogra. I don’t know what kind of monster that dragon is or what it’s thinking, but it has never attacked us.
I can’t just stand by and let a monster that might be trying to help us be killed.
【Rua launches Sonic Spear!】
A spear like that? My Sonic Spear can take it out in an instant. The Sonic Spear strikes right beside the spear, obliterating it completely and ensuring Dogra’s safety.
“I see, you can’t just let your kin die.”
“That’s not it. You’re still a heartless Demon Lord.”
“Then what will you do?”
“Defeat you.”
“That’s impossible. My Fatal Mirror reflects all physical skills and nullifies magic. There is no way to overcome this in this world.”
“Except for one… the Hero’s Sword, right?”
When Eeks adds that, a slight frown appears on the Demon Lord’s forehead. So, it means only a Hero can defeat him. But it feels strange to say it’s just because of the Hero’s Sword. I still don’t fully understand what the Hero’s Sword is, but it seems to boil down to the fact that Fatal Mirror is just too powerful.
The previous Demon Lord, his father, used the same skill. But the Hero broke through Fatal Mirror. So, the conclusion is that only a Hero can defeat the Demon Lord.
“Then, we just need to break that Fatal Mirror.”
“Your naivety… It reminds me of him.”
“Him?”
【The Demon Lord casts Inferno!】
“You don’t need to know. As long as you refuse to serve me, you are my enemy. I will kill you here.”
A massive fireball dances with red flames swirling around it like a serpent. I assume that will be launched as it is, but as usual, due to No Motion, it arrives right next to me before I can react. But—
“What…!”
The Demon Lord is astonished as I slice through the fireball. Is he surprised that I could cut through formless flames, or that the fireball split in two and vanished? Just like with Lord Daigami, there’s nothing I can’t cut. Compared to that, this fireball is nothing.
“Eeks, do you know about the dungeon called Abyss Cave near Ikana Village?”
“Abyss…? No, I’ve never heard of it.”
“Abyss Cave?!”
The Demon Lord suddenly shifts his stance, his cloak billowing, looking more cautious than before. Aside from Lord Hast, the only one who knew about the Abyss Cave was the Demon Lord. Judging by his surprise, it must mean the monsters there are stronger than the Demon Lord himself. Or perhaps there’s another reason I can’t discern.
“I spent ten years conquering that dungeon. There were countless terrifying monsters, and of course, there were those who were immune to physical skills. But I conquered it.”
As I inch closer, I feel the Demon Lord take a slight step back.
“Demon Lord… you said I was lacking or something, but if you truly believe that, then you have far too little combat experience. I bet you’ve hardly fought since you were born.”
“What nonsense are you spouting…?”
“If that’s not the case, then that’s fine, but…”
“Don’t get carried away, child…!”
【The Demon Lord casts Chaotic Flare!】
It seems the Demon Lord no longer cares about his own castle, unleashing a skill of massive destruction without restraint. The floor of the castle is mercilessly consumed by the black explosion, and it doesn’t stop there; it engulfs even the lower floors. Explosions chain one after another, and the momentum shows no signs of stopping.
The sheer power is overwhelming. I can’t help but think it might not stop until the entire castle is destroyed.
“T-the Demon Lord’s ultimate skill! Run! If you get caught up in this…!”
“Then you should come with us, Eeks.”
“W-what?”
“Kurinka! Get Eeks and fly away!”
Without waiting for Eeks’ approval, I act. The chain of black explosions is closing in, and we were just about to get caught. But I have no intention of fleeing myself.
Rua unleashed the Sonic Ripper!
A straight line toward the wave of explosion, the scene beyond was visible like the sun peeking through the clouds. The Demon Lord must have felt at ease, knowing he had the Fatal Mirror. He might not have seen the Sonic Ripper itself, but it seemed he understood the moment it sliced through the blast.
After a brief expression of surprise, the Sonic Ripper surged toward the Demon Lord, piercing just before it could reach him, a clash of skills in the air.
“Ugh…! The Fatal Mirror…”
Still not realizing? I’ve fought my way through like this.
“This is bad!”
With a shout, the Demon Lord finally twisted his body to evade.
You dealt 2,041,028 damage to the Demon Lord!
The attack tore into his side, but I could only send him flying to the chest. His slight evasion made all the difference. Given the damage he sustained, it was hard to say if he truly managed to evade in time.
You defeated the Demon Lord! HP 0/204,000
“Gah!”
“My, my Demon Lord!”
Bathram, who had somehow regained consciousness, rushed to the Demon Lord’s side. Despite being on the brink of death from the beating he took, he was surprisingly resilient. Seeing the Demon Lord barely intact made me completely forget my promise to Shin. At this rate, I might end up killing him.
But it was impossible. That Fatal Mirror was a powerful skill, and breaking through it required all my strength. This was the only way to inflict damage on the Demon Lord while he was protected.
“Demon Lord!”
“Ugh, guff… Bathram… Shin…”
“I’ll cast a healing spell! Please, hang in there…”
“I’m sorry…”
Watching Shin sob and Bathram desperately trying to help the Demon Lord filled me with an indescribable feeling. Even the leader of a legion that had caused chaos across the world had people who cared for him like this. Was it because he was originally human? Unlike the Twelve Demon Generals, there were those among the Demon Race who could still be good, even after becoming monsters.
I couldn’t find an answer within myself. It was also because I had come to realize that I was the same as those Demon Lords.
“Such are the ways of the world… Unable to fulfill my revenge, I am left to decay as a being beyond humanity…”
“Demon Lord… you still have a human heart. Because you did not choose to End. You could have won this battle, yet you seemed troubled.”
“The End… Indeed, I was the only one who couldn’t make up my mind until the very end…”
“The End. To end as a human, to complete oneself as a monster in body and spirit… Demon Lord, you are still human.”
Eeks, who had dismounted from Kurinka’s back, added this fact. Their transformation was precisely for that reason. It made sense why they acted so cruelly after becoming monsters. It wasn’t an illusion; they had become like that because they had abandoned their humanity.
“Ten years ago, when you helped me after I was injured in Ikana Village… Yes, you appeared in the village that day because you were concerned about your former comrades. But all that was left was a village in ruins. I was foolish to accept your invitation to destroy this world together… Even then, you shed tears… That’s not something a monster would do!”
“The Demon Lord helped Shin when he was being bullied! He’s really kind!”
Seeing Shin cling to the Demon Lord struck a chord deep within me. At this moment, I had learned too much. Eeks’s story, the past of the Demon Lord Army that threatened the world, and our own circumstances. Honestly, I couldn’t make sense of it all. I was at a loss for what to do.
“We learned how to wield power from the Demon Race… and as we gradually gained control, we lost our human hearts. Hatred spread throughout humanity. Friends died before our eyes, parents perished… The hatred that grew in such harsh conditions was finally completed…”
As I listened to the Demon Lord’s tale, my heart felt like it was about to burst. What should I do? This wasn’t just someone else’s problem; I wasn’t human either. My parents never spoke a word about this. They must have wanted us to live peacefully, without suffering.
“D-Demon Lord… I’m sorry…”
Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. I didn’t even know why I was apologizing; it was the only thing I could say. Right now, I felt ashamed of my ignorance.
“Demon Lord, listen. You lost to Rua, so you should listen to what she has to say, right?”
“Eh, m-my?”
“Yes, what do you want the Demon Lord to do? Or should I kill him?”
“Don’t kill him! I don’t want to kill him, but…”
In times like this, Kurinka remained silent. I thought she was simply choosing to follow me. The Demon Lord and Bathram both stayed quiet, doing nothing. They weren’t retaliating; they were waiting for my response.
“Rua, listen closely. In Ikana Village…”
“Chesstooooo!”
Something came crashing down from high above at incredible speed. No one in the vicinity reacted; they didn’t even recognize that something was coming. But I could see it—a man with unkempt facial hair grinning as he aimed his blade downward at the Demon Lord.
“Watch out!”
There was no time to move the Demon Lord and the others. I kicked the man’s side, diverting his trajectory. I could hit him with full force without worry. After all, he was the type to hit me once and send me flying a considerable distance.
As expected, he was kicked but quickly regained his stance and landed. He rubbed his side as if the blow had barely hurt him. With a feigned sigh, he looked down at us with disdain.
“Seriously? I thought I had him that time. You’re still scary, huh?”
“Aleid…!”
He was still grinning obnoxiously. I didn’t need to ask why he was here; it was obvious he had come to fulfill his role as a Hero.
“I thought I had been beaten to the punch, but it seems that’s not the case. Well then, I’ll make sure to kill him myself. That’s fine, right?”
“W-wait, that’s…”
What was I hesitating for? Aleid seemed to see right through my uncertainty, twisting his dry lips into a smirk.
“Rua, do you know him?”
“This is Aleid… the Hero.”
“H-Hero?! This guy? You’re joking…”
“What a rude pretty boy. Just because you have a decent face, you think you can look down on others. It’s infuriating… Since you’re here, you’re probably one of the Demon Lord’s allies, right? So killing you shouldn’t be a problem.”
Bathram and Eeks both took defensive stances. In response, Aleid stood there, arms hanging limply, completely unguarded.
“Aleid, listen. The Demon Lord Army is actually…”
“What, are you getting in my way too? Then I guess I’ll just kill you.”
The relaxed Aleid pointed his sword toward us, and in that instant, everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Eeks and Bathram froze, as if they were imagining their own deaths in that moment.