Chapter 30: The Great Demon King's Ambition
SIDE: The Hero of the Holy Sword
I ran straight through the rain-soaked battlefield. I was running at full speed toward the position of the 'Hero,' the enemy I was meant to strike down.
The corpses were no obstacle. The moment they were touched by the falling rain, they were purified and returned to being mere, immobile chunks of flesh.
The strategy devised by that vampire girl and the Great Demon King was incredible. I plunged into a black cloud they had summoned using some kind of machine. Inside, I unleashed a holy lightning strike, causing purifying rain to fall upon the battlefield. It was simple but an unprecedented operation that could only be realized through the cooperation of a Hero and a demon.
The weakness of the 'living corpses' controlled by necromancy is the power of purification, which originates from the Goddess of Creation. Even the corpses that kept moving after being cut in half or burned by fire immediately had the spell undone and returned to mere objects the moment they touched the purifying force. Though, there likely hasn't been another instance of purification power being rained down on this scale.
But the most incredible thing wasn't the strategy; it was the 'words.'
"I believe in you."
The moment I heard those words from the Great Demon King, the 'me' from before simply vanished.
My identity as a Hero. My identity as a human. Everything that had defined me dissolved like mist in the wind. Even if I tried to gather the pieces, they were too vague and slipped through my fingers.
In their place, my chest filled with a sense of mission and a plea. "I want to live up to this trust." "I want to fight for this person." This urge was akin to a powerful hunger, dragging even my laziness forward.
Indeed, for the sake of this feeling, for the sake of that Great Demon King, I would have plunged into the heart of a black cloud swirling with lightning.
Ah, yes, I admit it. I am fighting for that Great Demon King. At first, I tried to rationalize it with various reasons, like wanting to help the refugees or being unable to forgive the villain who claimed to be a Hero, but those pretexts cannot drown out the pounding in my chest.
Because 100 years ago, no one truly believed in me. Even though they praised and honored me with words, they decided I couldn't do anything alone. Even after I defeated the Demon King, they sealed me away because they couldn't trust me. In the end, no one, even if they needed me, ever believed in me.
But that Great Demon King is different.
He believes in me, not just my power. Not killing me, giving me a role—everything, everything was done to tell me that he was on my side.
Yes, that person, only that person is my ally. From the very beginning, he has been. Only he understands me and believes in me—!
"—Ha! Hahahaha!"
My steps were light, my sword strikes sharp. I used the sword the Great Demon King had prepared for me to slice through the chunks of flesh, carving a path.
Ah, how, how incredibly happy I feel. Fighting for someone who believes in me is this blissful. This sword, too, feels right in my hand. It is stronger than any Holy Sword, and it is truly connected to my heart. Because this is the proof of trust from the Great Demon King to me.
No wave of corpses can stop me now. Even without the Holy Sword in my hand, and even if I am going against the Hero's mission, the current me is stronger and freer than at any moment before.
And so, I arrived at the 'Monster Tamer'—the Hero I must strike down.
"This presence...! A Hero...!?"
The enemy Hero's face was hidden by a hood, but honestly, I didn't care. I felt anger when I first learned about this person, but now, I strike him down for the Great Demon King. If he commands me to kill, I would even kill the Goddess of Creation.
"Why! Why is a Hero on the side of the demons—"
I had no intention of arguing. He wouldn't understand my heart even if I explained it, and I don't feel the need to make him understand.
I kicked the ground, closing the distance instantly. I imbued the sword gifted by the Great Demon King with holy power, but it was converted into red-black lightning by the sword's nature.
An evil, hideous color. But it feels good. As if this color proves whose I am.
"—Hic!?"
My sword broke through all defenses and reached the Monster Tamer. The unpleasant sensation of the blade sinking into flesh. Ignoring it, I swung my arm through. My sword easily severed the Hero's body in two.
The Hero's body, split diagonally, lay motionless. The magical power that resided in his soul dissipated, and the remaining living corpses turned back into mere dead bodies. Necromancy, which manipulates the dead, ceases to be effective once the caster himself becomes a corpse.
I killed a person again. But there is no regret or lingering discomfort this time.
Instead, what wells up is a sense of accomplishment. I wasn't this fulfilled even when I defeated the Demon King.
This is what it means to dedicate a victory to someone. Thinking back, I never once fought according to my own will in the war 100 years ago.
But now, it is different.
I can proclaim from the bottom of my heart: This victory, all of me, is for the Great Demon King...!
"—Haha."
I suddenly looked down at my body and saw that I was entirely drenched in red-black spatter. The silvery white armor I'd worn since leaving my hometown was stained and desecrated beyond recognition.
And that made me overjoyed. Because this is the Great Demon King's color. I am being dyed in his color. This color will deepen every time I am useful to him...!
Being useful to the Great Demon King—that is the meaning of my existence. The reason for me to live. I need nothing else.
So, please, my Lord. Make sure to use me up completely, okay?
SIDE: The Great Demon King Who Still Knows Nothing
The battle was decided when the Hero of the Holy Sword struck down the 'Monster Tamer.' As predicted, the living corpses immediately returned to being mere dead bodies when their caster died.
Our strategy was a bullseye.
My bombardment, the fierce fighting of the defense force led by Egret, and the surprise attack by Arcelia and the Hero of the Holy Sword. This victory would not have been possible if even one of these elements had been missing.
"—The 'Imperial Dragoon Knights,' all personnel have returned safely!"
My knights returned to the throne room. Despite the intense battle, their armor was scarred, and they looked utterly exhausted, but just as Egret reported, all fifty, both demons and humans, returned unharmed.
A few hours have passed since the battle ended, and it is already night, but the work of mopping up after the battle meant that the soldiers' return was delayed until this time.
Well, it can't be helped. Although the purifying rain and the death of the caster ensured the corpses stopped, we needed to confirm the Monster Tamer's death. After all, he was a practitioner of manipulating the dead. We cannot relax until his body is properly incinerated.
...Truthfully, I wanted to capture him and extract information, just like the Hero of the Holy Sword, and bring him to our side, but given the emotions of the refugees, I couldn't keep him alive. Information can be acquired through other means, and military strength can be recruited, but once trust and credibility are lost, the effort required to regain it is more than double. Moreover, a rebellion at this time could be fatal.
"My Knights. You have worked splendidly. Your brave fight has been rewarded. You successfully defended this castle and its people."
"—We are unworthy of your words...!"
Not just Egret, but all the soldiers knelt at my words. Despite being of different races and having no direct relationship with me, it seems we earned their trust through this incident.
...It is a good feeling. I am the Final Boss. While I don't need high approval ratings from the populace or my subordinates, it doesn't hurt to have them. Besides, being genuinely adored by someone is simply gratifying. A strong emotional bond among constituents also strengthens the organization.
"I will reward all of you in due time. For now, return to your families and friends and let them know you are safe. Egret, approach my side."
"—Understood!"
However, it is not entirely healthy for them to prioritize me. They were brave and took up arms primarily for the sake of their own families and friends. As their King, it is my duty to send them home as soon as possible, now that their task is done.
Egret, on the other hand, is my Knight and bodyguard. As one of the Great Demon King's Army executives, she still has work to do.
"—Yeah, yeah, a huge success again, me."
Next, Arcelia entered the throne room, speaking lightly. She was still in her loli form, but I couldn't help but feel she looked a bit pleased. That's probably because she successfully verified the new technology and new spell formula. I remember her mentioning she was developing a weather control device every time I saw her over the past month. It seems it came in handy this time.
As expected of a Mad Scientist. She always has a 'just in case' plan up her sleeve.
"A great service, Arcelia. I will send you a reward later."
"Thanks. Well, for a while, just analyzing the data we collected this time is enough. The Hero of the Holy Sword seems quite fun to tinker with."
"...Very well. But you must get her permission. Understood?"
"............Fine."
No unauthorized human experimentation within the organization, even if we are an evil organization. That's an absolute no. You can break laws set by others as much as you like, but if internal compliance isn't maintained, the organization cannot function.
And so, the last to return was the 'Hero of the Holy Sword,' who had only recently become one of us. Having struck down the enemy Hero, she deserves the highest commendation for this battle.
She appeared in the throne room, still blood-soaked. Her clothes and sword were stained and dyed red-black with splatter.
Seren, on my right, was about to reprimand her for her attire, but I stopped her and observed the Hero of the Holy Sword. After all, this is her moment. Why would I interrupt the sight I've been waiting for?
In the original story, the Hero of the Holy Sword wore pure white armor. It was the physical manifestation of her purity and nobility, and in the original story, it never had a single scratch or stain. And now, she has fallen to this state, swinging her sword for me...!
This is the very essence of the Dark-Side Fall! The pure white Hero, staining her own hands, abandoning justice, and descending into the demonic path...! Is there a Final Boss who wouldn't be thrilled by this situation? No, there isn't! It is no exaggeration to say I manipulated her for a month just to see this sight. Ooh, I'm burning up!
"Welcome back, My Hero."
When I spoke, the Hero of the Holy Sword silently knelt and raised her sword with both hands. This was a sign of her loyalty and submission to me.
Seren and Egret on either side gasped. They may not have doubted my word, but seeing a Hero—that Hero of the Holy Sword—pledge loyalty to the Demon King must make them question their own eyes.
But I was certain. I knew it would inevitably happen.
Because a few hours ago, in the midst of the battle, a 'notification' had reached me.
The notification was the addition of the 'Courageous One' trait. This trait also appeared in the original story, but only one person in my command possesses it. While I don't know the exact change in her state of mind, it is certain that my trait would not have been activated unless the Hero of the Holy Sword had pledged sincere loyalty to me.
The trait grants me the 'physical abilities, magic, and skills of a Hero.' I haven't actually tested it yet, but I'm truly looking forward to it. The power of a Demon King combined with the power of a Hero—I look genuinely invincible.
And so, the Hero of the Holy Sword became my subordinate in name and in fact. In other words, the 'Dark Hero' has been born here...!
"Great Demon King. From this day forward, my sword, my life, and my soul are yours. Please use them to your heart's content."
My cheeks were about to break into a smile at the words I wanted to hear, but I quickly switched it to a suitably fearless smirk.
As expected, a Final Boss needs a rival character to face the protagonist. And for that character to be the Hero who defeated the previous Demon King—the protagonist of the previous work, so to speak—I couldn't ask for more.
I'm getting incredibly excited. I'm going to have her play a massive role as 'My Hero' from now on, but I want to put some effort into her equipment. I had Arcelia quickly prepare the sword, but I want her to wear armor and a mask, too. Something like The Dark Hero...!
"Hmph. My Hero, I shall have you work to your fullest."
"............Great Demon King, there is something I want you to receive first."
Saying that, the Hero of the Holy Sword looked up. Her eyes were filled with resolve, determination, and... something else, a thick, familiar emotion. Something like dependence, or adoration...
"I want you to know my name. My name is 'Lind Eira Hyerant.' Please, please call me Lind."
The Hero of the Holy Sword, or rather, Lind, spoke her name. This in itself is good. Calling her the 'Hero of the Holy Sword' forever is cumbersome and, more importantly, unsuitable. Besides, I think the default name for the protagonist of My Soliloquy 3 was also Lind. I'll call her Lind from now on.
The problem is the emotion other than loyalty that I can sense from Lind, but I have no choice but to ignore it for now. Lecturing on the nature of romantic relationships right here would be a mood killer... A Final Boss may seem oblivious, but in reality, they value the atmosphere more than anyone...
No matter. The fact that my words are too effective is nothing new. As long as I'm not stabbed in the back eventually, that's fine.
"I accept. Then, Lind. Follow me. Seren, Egret, you two as well."
Leading the three of them, I headed toward the castle's balcony.
Looking down, a large crowd of people had rushed to the area despite the late hour. Humans and demons alike looked up at the castle, watching me and the three of them.
I'm glad I had the castle descend to a lower altitude beforehand. This way, the crowd can see us, and we can see them. And surely, their voices can reach us here.
"Everyone, engrave this sight upon your memory. This is what you have defended, and what you will continue to protect."
"Oh...!"
Egret gave a cry of admiration and knelt, and the remaining two followed suit a moment later. Simultaneously, I raised my right fist and fired a single blast of magical energy into the sky.
At that signal, a deafening cheer erupted from the ground. It was so loud it seemed to split the earth and shake the heavens, and it reached the balcony of the Great Demon King's Castle.
And gradually, that cheering began to take on a definite meaning and form.
"Long live the Great Demon King! Glory to our King!"
"Our Savior! Our true King!"
"Great Demon King! Marry me!"
I could hear the praises directed at me being shouted by someone. A few undesirable words were mixed in, but they were within the margin of error.
Those voices soon spread throughout the crowd, becoming a roar. Having passed through the crisis of the living corpse invasion, demons and humans had united as one mass.
This is all thanks to the existence of the 'Great Demon King.' Yes, the Final Boss can rally and unite people's hearts. As a ruler, not as a hero, of course.
...Hmph, this feels good. This is the very essence of the Final Boss's purpose...! I feel incredibly Final Boss-like right now! Ah, I'm glad I transmigrated! Things don't often go this way in modern Japan!
However, I am not one to be satisfied with just this much.
I will one day make this voice echo throughout the entire Demon Realm—no, the Human Realm, and even the Celestial Realm that exists above it...!
Yes, my path as a Final Boss has just begun...!
And this, my friends, is how World Eaters come to be (minus the Butcher's Nails).
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