Hero and Demon King

This chapter is from Hero's POV

『Welcome to the Castle of Demon King.』


The man saying that has long black hair, dark brown eyes and an exquisitely handsome face that somehow gives off the impression of being inorganic.
Those are the exact same features as a certain being Kajikawa-san told me.

An overwhelming presence not unlike a mountain with an invisibly tall summit and the bottomless depth of an ocean.
Those two instructors are real bad news. Kajikawa-san even more so.
Yet this man before me makes all of them seem insignificant.

There's no mistaking it, this man is...!


"Demon King...!"

"Indeed I am. You possess the insight to fathom my identity in one glance, I see."


...Anybody would.
If this man isn't the Demon King himself, just some random aide or something, I'd file a claim.


"Fumu, I did not foretell a female hero. You are likely the only---"

"No, I'm a man. You should know being a former hero and all, Heroic Fusion decides the end gender by the tallied ratio."

"...So it is. My apologies."


Do I really gotta go through this same old exchange even with Demon King himself. Give me a break already.
Ah, he's making an awkward face. The change of expression is real subtle, but I guess even this guy's got emotions.


"You are already aware that I am former hero reincarnate it seems. I surmise your Menu made the conjecture after finding out my Menu's interference, no?"

"Yeah. Let's be real, I'm disappointed in you, senpai... Why are you trying to destroy humanity."

"Foolish question. Demon Kings are an existence meant to be the harbinger of humanity's downfall. No inquiry necessary."

"Oh there sure is a huge one. I mean, I'm in the opinion that the job of saving the world doesn't have to fall squarely on heroes."


In fact, Menu told me that it's not like Demon Kings can only be defeated by Heroes.
They're just too impossibly strong to beat without an assortment of 'Brave Skills' including Heroic Fusion, it just ends up that way.
...Apparently Kajikawa-san is capable of defeating all previous generation Demon Kings on his own. That man is a monster alright.


"But like, you should have seen, felt and lived alongside the humans in this world as a former hero, no, a former human yourself. Do you really believe it's something you could so handily destroy?"

"...."

"This world's humans are no mob characters in a game. Each and every one of them is giving their all living to the fullest they could. Is being a Demon King a good enough reason to deny all that. Or maybe you're just acting that way as a necessary evil to regulate population?"


If it's the latter, his methods are super rough but there may be a point to it.
Too many mouth to feed is going to dry up resource which would eventually kill this planet. Like earth.
That doesn't mean I agree with that though.


"Did your past self lead a tragic life? Or is your sense of values got a complete 180 degree from becoming Demon King and now you think that human lives are worth nothing? If so, I'm just wasting my breath here. Get lost already, Demon King."


Thinking about how this person is the ringleader behind that gruesome war makes me all the angrier.
He's an enemy anyway, I might as well let it all out.


"...Nay, that is wrong."


Demon King quietly spoke up once I was done with my grumble.


"My past life, Souma Ryouta, cherished this world dearly. He loved humanity. So much so he wished to be reborn into this world once more. Those feelings remain within me to this very second, unabated."

"..."


Demon King thus spoke without any hesitation.
I could tell from his voice that he's not lying.
Then why, why is this man going up against the world as Demon King.


"I may be Demon King now but I am well aware how precious human life is. As someone who had lived an irreplaceable wonderful life as one man, I am more than familiar."

"Then, why are you---"


I was about to ask, 'Why are you trying to eradicate humanity', but I couldn't finish that sentence.
I can't talk nor breathe because the gentle face this Demon King has put on looks utterly repulsive to me.


"And that is precisely why I find it unforgivable. Those wonderful lives are built upon heaps of our, us demons' sacrifices"


"Wha..."

"Now that I am reborn as Demon King, I carry the perspective of a demon. I have made the vow to break this world's very system. I shall topple this world and its insistence to mark demons as a nemesis."


Even though his voice and face remained calm, hearing his word sent a chill down my spine.
It's not because his Attributes are higher than mine. I can feel sheer unimaginable hatred towards humanity in his voice.


"Hero and Demon King, swap their positions and so will the object they place values on. Hero (you) to humanity, and Demon King (me) to demons."

"...Even though you were a human once?"

"That is precisely how I  questioned everything pertaining demons. I may be the reincarnated form of Souma Ryuta, but my nature is ultimately that of Demon King. Consequently, I shall bring about humanity's demise with nary a speck of hesitation."


Demon King drew his sword.
A regal looking sword. It even exudes an air of nobility you'd think it was a sword for heroes.
That's all it took to make me feel like I was pricked by thousand needles all over my body.


"Demonkind shall rise to be the race that stands above all in this world, we shall take humanity's place. Once the last of human breathes their last, we shall live as we will. No more are we become tools of gods."

"So you're telling me this is a struggle for existence between humans and demons? The losers get to get stamped out of existence. Why bother with all that long winded crap then."

"All I did was answer an inquiry. For you and humanity, the soon to be loser and the exterminated."

"Oh wow you're so kind. Nobody asked for it tho'."


I drew my sword, 'Brave Blade' and got ready for combat.
There's no need for words anymore. All that's left is how a Hero and Demon King should...


"Perish, humans."

"Drop dead, demons."


Our swords clashed as we hurled curses at one another.
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >

"...."

"Gii...!!"


I realized one thing after that close call of a clash.
That one moment of interlocked blade was enough to draw myself a conclusion.


I can't win the way I am.


"Heroic Fusion never ceases to amaze indeed. To think you managed to hold yourself against me."

"You're welcome!"


Despite my outwardly flippant attitude, I'm absolutely getting driven to the corner right now.
I'm only barely matching him after doubling my stats with Energy Control while under Heroic Fusion state.

Merely a match is no good.
Demon King still got True Demon Release and his Final Form as his trump cards.

If me going all out is barely a match against his first form, there's no way I'd win against him at full power...!


"Haaaaaaaaa!!"

"!"


There's only one path to victory!
I'm gonna kill him before he can activate True Demon Release and Final Form.


I raised my Attributes tenfold with Energy Control for one moment in time!!


"Drop deaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!!"


This should be enough to overwhelm Demon King. At least his First Form.
I can only keep up this much buffing for a few minutes. I gotta finish him off before time's up.
There's a slight time lag between the initial activation of True Demon Release and Form Shifting and the actual change. I'm not gonna give him a chance to finish his transformation!

I used the combination of 'Ground Shrink' and 'Mana Blade Gale' to raise my speed even further and swung my katana.


"Ka..."


My blade slipped through Demon King's neck.
This is the end---


"...Impressive. Simply magnificent. What was that?"


....Wha?


"You were but a mere match for me until that explosive burst of tremendous power for a brief instance."


His voice came from his headless body.
The same body went on to grab me by my neck.


"I did not foresaw that would be the moment 'Scapegoat Talisman' would come into play. It was one of the trump cards I had set up for unforeseen situations. Nay, I suppose this was exactly that time."

"You, bastaaard...!"

"I shan't pretend to know the price you paid to achieve that but such power is indeed sufficient to end me. And with that much power..."


Demon King's head regrew.


Dammit, I ain't done yet!
I'm gonna kill you dead this time!

I swung my sword at Demon King with his hand still grabbing my neck--



"It shall not be me who opens, it will be you."

"!?"


The entire blade of my katana disappeared as I swung it at Demon King.
That katana should be indestructible, how is it broken...!?

No, that's not it.
I can tell my katana still weighs the same. It's not broken, it's only gone invisible.


The moment I realized that, I noticed the space around my katana warping.
The space itself, has been, cut.

What, the hell is this...!?

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