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Reincarnation as a Great Demon Lord - Chapter 14

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Chapter 14 – The Great Demon Lord’s Glorious Victory!

According to Arcelia the Black-Blood Princess—the evil mad scientist and pride of my Great Demon Lord Army—what we call 'Ancestral Regression' is actually a kind of addiction. The cause is highly concentrated mana. When a demon absorbs too much of it, the ancestral memories buried in their blood awaken. This, in turn, distorts the mind and then transforms the body. That entire chain of events is what the Demon World refers to as Ancestral Regression.

To cure it, the first step is to remove the excess pure mana from the body. That was why we tore out the Crimson Radiant Heart—the mana core acting as the source of the condition.

The real problem, though, is how to drain that concentrated mana from within the body. According to Arcelia, in the three-thousand-year history of the Demon Realm, not a single person had ever succeeded in doing so. No one—except for herself, that is.

“Treatment begins now. I’ll give the orders—assist me as needed.”

The Great Demon Lord’s Castle descended toward the crater, settling right beside the fallen giant dragon. The fortress scraped along the mountainside, grinding away its walls—but I decided to overlook it for now. Honestly, Arcelia’s nerve is impressive. If she’s the one breaking it, it doesn't count, apparently. I should probably learn from that attitude.

“Ooh! Now this is fascinating...!”

From the stationary castle, two metallic arms extended—mechanical tentacles tipped with sharp needles, looking for all the world like enormous syringes. They coiled around the dragon’s body and drove the needles in deep. At this point, I could already tell what she was planning: to physically extract the mana—quite literally suck it out.

Moments later, just as I predicted, a massive surge of energy began flowing from the dragon’s body. The Demon Lord’s Castle requires near-infinite mana to operate—which means, conversely, it can store near-infinite mana as well. That made it the perfect vessel to absorb the dragon’s corrupted energy. And since the castle wasn’t alive, there was no risk of Ancestral Regression. Brilliant. A typically elegant solution from Arcelia the Mad Scientist.

“...Father!” Beside me, Eagret whispered a prayer.

There was nothing we could do but wait. Even if everything seemed to be going well, all we could do was trust Arcelia. Waiting like that was agony—I remembered that same suffocating feeling back during election night, before the victory projection came in. But I knew what Eagret needed to hear. A true final boss always sees through the hearts of others—always acts two, three moves ahead.

“It’ll be fine, Eagret. Believe in us.” I placed my hand on her shoulder and spoke quietly. Just that simple gesture made her nod several times, gripping my hand tightly in return.

Our acquaintance was brief, but Arcelia’s skill was beyond doubt. If she said she could cure him, then I would believe her. A ruler who cannot trust his subordinates is unworthy of the throne. Mistrust others all you want—but never doubt your own judgment. A leader who does so could never hope to rule the world.

And sure enough, my trust was not misplaced. Before our eyes, the dragon’s colossal body—once large enough to blanket the crater—was shrinking. It had already halved in size. That alone told me the procedure was working.

“...Contamination level’s dropping. Vital signs weak but within tolerance. At this rate... we can save him.” Arcelia’s report came through.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly. And that was exactly when disaster tends to strike—when things appear to be turning in your favor.

“—This isn’t good!” When the dragon had shrunk to about a third its size, Arcelia’s strained voice echoed in my head.

The dragon, which had been motionless, suddenly convulsed violently. Clearly, something was wrong.

“Arcelia, what happened?”

“A curse—it’s built up inside! Mana extraction’s working, but I didn’t realize something like this was buried deep down! Damn it, what should I—ugh!” Even Arcelia was panicking—something I had never seen before. She hadn’t anticipated this at all.

But that’s exactly when true genius shows its worth. I had faith she would find a way.

“Arcelia. Breathe first. Then tell me the situation. You can handle this.”

“...You don’t have to tell me.” After a moment’s silence, Arcelia calmed herself and explained.

“The Red-Scaled King’s body was filled with mana—but not just that. It also absorbed a curse from the Crimson Radiant Heart. I should have realized it…! It's not strange for a magic artifact of that level to accumulate curses!”

“Is there any way to remove it? Can the device handle that?”

“No, I can’t adjust it in time. There is another method, but…”

“Then do it. What do we need to do?”

Silence. If she hesitated here, it could only mean the method demanded something reckless—and not from her, but from us, on-site.

“Arcelia. There’s no time. Leave it to me. My words to Eagret apply to you as well.”

“……Understood.”

Once I made my resolve clear, Arcelia responded in kind. We weren’t master and servant just then—we were comrades, bound by the same fate.

“To save the Red-Scaled King, we have to transfer the curse to someone else. Touch the wound—where the Crimson Radiant Heart used to be—and the curse will automatically move to the one who touches it.”

“Understood. Leave it to me.”

So there was a way. I didn’t fully understand how curses worked in this world, nor what would happen to me upon touching it. But hesitation doesn't suit a final boss. If I’m not the final boss, I may as well be dead. And compared to death once—dying again is nothing.

“W-wait, Your Majesty!”

“I will not! Watch closely, Eaglet!”

Ignoring her plea, I leapt toward the dragon. Through waves of heat and smoke, I reached the wound—large enough to fit a human—and placed my hand upon it.

At that instant, black miasma erupted from the gash, engulfing my body. So this was the curse Eagret spoke of.

But upon contact, I understood. Curses in this world are thought-forms. The envy, ambition, hatred, and fear born from the immense mana reactor known as the Crimson Radiant Heart—negative emotions made tangible by mana until they harm life itself. And the only thing that can resist them... is also mana. Those with great mana can suppress curses and nullify their effects. That’s why the Red-Scaled King was unaffected while he harbored a huge amount of mana. The truth of the current situation is that by siphoning off his mana for the treatment, the curse rose to the surface.

So then—what about me, the Great Demon Lord with infinite mana?

“—Fuh... Fuhahahahahaha!”

Laughter burst from my chest. I was utterly unscathed. I possess infinite mana. That means my resistance to curses is absolute. Even in the original game, curse resistance scaled directly with mana stats. In other words, I am completely immune. Well, I hadn’t been entirely certain until now—but fortune clearly favors the final boss!

“—Your Majesty!”

As the miasma dispersed and my vision cleared, Eagret came running toward me, tears welling in her eyes—tears of joy.

At my feet lay a middle-aged Dragonfolk man, breathing weakly but alive, a deep scar across his chest. There was no mistake. He was the Red-Scaled King—Eaglet’s father, one of the Four Demon Generals. We had saved him.

And thus—the Great Demon Lord stands victorious once more!

SIDE: Eagret

The moment I saw my father still breathing, even as he lay collapsed, tears overflowed before I could stop them. Yes, part of it was relief and joy that he had survived. But that wasn’t the whole truth.

No—if I’m being honest, it’s shameful to admit, but... at that moment, my father’s rescue was merely secondary. Because when I saw His Majesty—the Great Demon Lord who had slain the dragon and saved my father—standing there, radiant and resolute... my heart was dyed a single color: Crimson.

A burning, feverish hue that consumed everything within me. The color of passion—of love. I don't know whether it was the instinct of a dragon to fall for strength, or the heart of a woman bewitched by His Majesty’s courage and grace. But it doesn't matter. This first love was too vivid, too blinding to forget.

Ah, Your Majesty, please forgive me. Forgive this pitiful Eagret for harboring such feelings. I swore to serve as Your knight, to devote my life to You—yet my heart dares to long for You as a man. How shameful of me... I cannot face my father like this.

And yet, Your Majesty, You are cruel. You are too strong, too sincere, too brilliant. More beautiful and noble than any demon I have ever seen.

Even now, Your Majesty’s hands are burned raw. You hide them with illusion, but I know it—I saw You shield our village from the dragon’s flames. You endured that pain in silence, so we would not notice, so we would not feel guilty. That compassion, that noble heart—more dazzling than any gem. Truly, the brilliance of a King. The beauty of mercy that even a saint would bow down to.

And still, You saved me. My life, my pride, my very soul.

How could anyone not fall in love with You? Any knight would inevitably adore Your Majesty.

So please, Your Majesty—allow me to keep this love hidden. A secret jewel deep within my heart, never to be seen by anyone.

Ah, but if this jewel were ever to belong to another, then I—I might just turn into a dragon myself.

...While simply praying that day never comes, I shall serve. As Your Majesty's Knight. 


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