Volume 8, The Tenth Chapter of the Final Battle: “God’s; the Demon King’s; the People’s—Plan”

Doza

Upon returning to the Demon King’s Castle, I arrived at a place I almost never visited: the hall for summoning the undead army.

It was dark and chaotic inside. There were more than ten summoning circles drawn on the floor, and piles of dark elemental gems—which I had made—were scattered all over the place. Furthermore, there were many undead creatures that had just been summoned, and clearly had not come to their senses yet. Even though they were under orders, there were still many wandering about in a daze.

With the exception of the undead creatures surging ceaselessly from the magic circles, Scarlet was the only one present. I had initially thought that Illu might be there too, but he was not. Excellent.

The moment Scarlet saw me, she set aside the summoning magic at her hands and floated over to my side.

“Child, why are you crying?”

I looked toward her, but I couldn’t offer even a single word in reply, because I did not know what the matter was, either.

“It looks like you’ve reached your limit.” Scarlet carefully took measure of me, then sighed as she said, “It’s okay! Child, stop enduring it.”

Endure… what? I was very confused.

“The God of Light’s plan was too good to be true! Even using the ‘Sun Knight,’ the ‘Demon King’ cannot be suppressed.”

“What did you say?” I was unable to stay silent. Feeling shocked, I ignored my hoarse voice and demanded again, “What did you say the God of Light wanted to do?”

“He wanted to use the fact that the Sun Knight is the vessel of holy element to balance out the dark element of the Demon King, so that you could remain clearheaded—unlike the previous demon kings who were corroded by the dark element, turned willful and rash, and then crazy in the end.”

Crazy in the end. This was the first time I was hearing about it, but strangely, I didn’t feel surprised at all. I could even ask calmly, “The Demon King will go insane in the end?”

Scarlet nodded, saying, “That’s right! Because he will have absorbed too much dark element. Even though he is the vessel, he still won’t be able to handle it!”

Sure enough, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Since when would there be something as good as receiving power without any conditions or payment? But the person now vainly attempting such a thing is Him, the God of Light!

He wants the Demon King to be born to absorb the dark element and save the world. Yet He also wants the Demon King to remain clearheaded instead of causing harm in his insanity. Was His final idea to let the Sun Knight become the Demon King?

No! Perhaps right from the start, I became the Sun Knight precisely for this plan? If that weren’t the case, then once Scarlet found me, how else could I still have become the Sun Knight?

“Because it could prevent you from going crazy, I also thought it was a good idea. Except now it looks like even the light of the Sun Knight cannot triumph over the darkness of the Demon King.”

Just, just what am I…

“Sigh! Actually, it would have always turned out this way. It is the entire world’s darkness that the Demon King absorbs, but I thought that giving it a try wouldn’t matter. If it could really let you keep your sanity—”

I grabbed the black crystal doll, the rage in my heart overflowing. I clutched her tighter and tighter, and cracks started splitting the surface. Although Scarlet’s shrieks filled the air, I felt much better. I wasn’t the only one in so much, so much pain…

“What did you all take me for?”

After a shattering sound, there was no longer a doll in my palm. Only a struggling wisp of soul remained.

What did You treat me as—? Tell me! God of Light!

As a tool of course!

What else could you be? Vessel, vessel, do you still not understand what that means?

“… Pink?” I drew out Eternal Tranquility from beneath my clothes and roared, “You still dare to open your mouth?! Do you think I won’t dare kill Roland?!”

Ha! Why do you think liches will go to any lengths to make their child the Demon King?

It’s because any child who does not become the Demon King is certain to die! It has always been this way. No matter what sort of pact the Demon King makes, how good his relationship with the others is, or how peaceful he may be, anyone competing with the Demon King, or even just remaining in his memory, will perish when he goes crazy!

Remaining in his memory… I clenched my fists tightly.

Grisia, my child is a death monarch, and he is also under the protection of the Church of the God of Light. Go ahead and try killing him! Heehee—

I have already done everything I could do. Even though Roland didn’t become the demon king, it is no problem, no problem at all!

Even though Pink said this, I could still easily hear the fear in her voice. She didn’t believe that all of that was enough to stop me from killing Roland, if I really wanted to.

Looking down, I saw Scarlet’s soul trembling in my fist. I could feel her pain and opened my hand. Despite the lack of confinement, the soul lingered in my palm, not fleeing…

Child? Are you alright? A concerned voice came from it.

I muttered, “Are you the same? Did you do everything you could?”

Not this time. That’s because I failed at the start and allowed you to get snatched away by others. Scarlet’s voice sounded very reluctant.

I fell silent for a while. I released the dark element in my body and compressed it again and again, doing my utmost to make an incomparably hard black crystal doll. Then, I put Scarlet inside.

Compared to the original model, this doll’s appearance was much more detailed. It had the full appearance of a little girl, without even one finger missing.

Watching the crystal doll move her hands and roll her feet, carefully scrutinizing her new body, I was suddenly at a loss for words. After a long time, I finally spoke up. “I didn’t do it on purpose. Don’t tick me off. Lately, I get angry very easily.”

Scarlet didn’t seem to mind, saying, “It doesn’t matter! In any case, I can’t be killed. If you find me annoying, just throw me into the Eternal Tranquility, and when you’re lonely, just call me out again!”

Can’t be killed…

I didn’t say anything for a while, merely looking at the Eternal Tranquility on my chest.

Seeing me focus on the gemstone, Scarlet commented, “Speaking of which, that has helped a lot. It allows a person to stay calm—a rarely seen pure water-element gemstone!”

Hearing her words, I frowned down at the Eternal Tranquility. How on earth did Teacher know about this gemstone? Could it have been “His” plan again?

Scarlet cautiously observed me as she said, “Does that bother you? Actually, there are numerous magical articles with calming effects all over the Cathedral of the Shadow God. That orb you love to stroke on the throne’s armrest is one of them. But since they were probably afraid you would notice, they didn’t dare use any high-grade elemental gemstones.”

Sun Knight, Eternal Tranquility… From the orb on the throne to the entire Cathedral of the Shadow God, they spent so much thought on it, yet I still slowly, slowly… I shook my head. I didn’t want to think any further.

I pulled the two remaining souls from the Eternal Tranquility, molded two black dolls, and stuffed a soul into each. Pink’s appearance was that of a mage wearing a pointed hat and carrying a staff; Stephen resembled a knight carrying a large shield and pike.

“You actually let me out.” Pink tilted her head, saying, “I’m warning you, I may not be very obedient!”

Even though he had become a glass doll, Stephen still didn’t change his air of arrogance. “I won’t listen to your commands, so you had better shut me back in again!”

With a flick of my finger I sent him flying, laughing as I said, “It doesn’t matter. Anyways, you’re nothing more than my toy. However, don’t think of running off just like that; I’ve already set restrictions. You can only be ten meters away from me at the most. So just be obedient and stay by my side.”

Stephen snorted. Even though he did fly back, he turned away from me, taking a stance that said he didn’t want to look at me at all. Just as in the past, Scarlet jumped into my chest pocket, while Pink, without the tiniest bit of courtesy, sat on my right shoulder.

“Scarlet, where are the latest dark warriors? I urgently need—”

Adair’s voice cut off, and then in bewilderment, he asked, “Your Majesty, why are you here?”

“Kneel down and salute before speaking again.” I turned around and said lightly, “Do you not understand etiquette, Adair?”

Even though it was Adair, even he couldn’t help looking a little astonished. But it was only a split second before he put on a proper expression. Following which, he knelt down and humbly bowed his head, apologizing, “I am deeply sorry, Your Majesty.”

I looked at him indifferently.

Only those who can’t be killed can stand at the Demon King’s side.

Everyone else—must kneel in front of the Demon King and pay allegiance to me!

No one is allowed to disobey me!

“Grab a few more! Grab some more!”

I brought two women baring fangs and brandishing claws back to the Demon King’s Castle. I felt that snatching beauties was even more tiring than going to war. However, Scarlet was ecstatic, and seemed to wish that I would steal all the women in the world back to the Demon King’s Castle.

Throwing the two women aside, I sat back on the throne and shot a glance at her, saying lazily, “I don’t intend to have children with them.”

“Then, what did you seize them for?” This question was asked by Pink.

I gestured toward the lady with the axes, who was apparently trying to kill me with a glare. “This one is Princess Ann from the Kingdom of Moon Orchid. She is also Leaf Knight Elmairy’s beloved.”

“And that one is…” I paused, and then continued, “The princess of the Kingdom of Forgotten Sound, who is Elijah’s fiancée.”

The princess in question rolled her eyes and said with dissatisfaction, “You know that the princess from the Kingdom of Moon Orchid is called ‘Ann,’ yet you don’t know the name of the princess from your own country? To think that you even accompanied Brother Sun to come and drink tea so often in the past!”

I went silent for a while, and then said indifferently, “I can only remember my teacher calling you ‘Little Flower.’ If you don’t want to introduce yourself, then I can call you that, too.”

“… I’m called Jasmine.”

At that moment, Alice and Charlotte walked in. Behind them was a sable warrior pushing a serving cart. Before I had departed, I had specially informed them to prepare some sumptuous food to welcome our “honored guests.” There was also a long table with a pure white tablecloth spread across it that had been placed in the originally vacant center of the hall.

“Ann?”

Ann turned her head to look and exclaimed, “Sister!”

She immediately rushed to Alice, threw aside her axes, and started taking measure of her sister. If Alice had lost a single strand of hair, I believe Ann would have dared to attack even the Demon King.

Alice’s heart first contracted, then pounded like a warrior’s who had just finished fighting an intense battle. By taking time to observe a person’s heartbeat and then comparing it to the expression on their face, I had become difficult to deceive.

Alice did not want Ann to appear here at all. She really, really did not want it.

“Sister, are you okay?” Ann asked concernedly.

“Of course I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be? I’m just a bit tired from looking after three children. Really, I shouldn’t have given birth to three at once!”

Unquestionably, Alice was a princess. In the blink of an eye, her heartbeat had slowed and she answered her sister like a person who was perfectly fine.

All of a sudden, she turned to me with an expression of sudden realization, saying, “So, Your Majesty, you have a fondness for collecting princesses from various countries? Ah! It should be princesses from various countries and a ‘prince.’ I’d nearly forgotten that the one from Kissinger is a prince.”

“… I didn’t collect you!” And what would I collect princes and princesses for? Don’t tell me that if I accumulate a full ten, I can exchange them for a king?

Alice nodded her head, saying, “You’re right. My husband truly had foresight and was one step ahead in collecting me.”

“…”

Bang!

Charlotte threw a plate down heavily on the long table and said furiously, “Your Majesty, please eat!”

I was startled and scolded, “What are you doing?”

Charlotte glared at me. Then, with an expression befitting a victim of injustice, she hid behind Alice without sparing me a second glance. What sort of mysterious action is that? It’s you who threw down my plate. What injustice have you suffered?

Hot anger overflowed in my mind. I wanted nothing more than to blast this woman and send her flying. Let her pay the price for her own rudeness!

No, I can’t. Charlotte isn’t like Awaitsun, with his tough battle aura, or like the undead creature, Illu. She is only an ordinary woman. She may die if I blast her…

Pink clicked her tongue as she said, “Grisia, you’ve really failed as a man. All your subordinates have picked up a princess, yet you, Your Majesty, the leader of the Holy Temple, the magnificent Demon King, can’t even pick up the female servants under your rule!”

“Ridiculous!”

I raised my hand, paused briefly, and then hurled the dark element on my hand toward the long table, chairs, food, and even the sable warrior who was laying the plates. All of them were transformed into a pile of fragments in an instant. I bellowed, “There are plenty of guys among the Twelve Holy Knights who have failed to pick up women! I’ve never seen Lesus picking up any woman before either!”

Pink said frankly, “That’s because he’s so busy he can’t even spare a glance for a lady!”

If he’s too busy to look at women, does that imply I’m not? Is Lesus the hard-working Captain Judgment, and I the Sun Knight who goofs off every day?

I grabbed Pink. Her and Stephen’s bodies were not as sturdy as Scarlet’s. Just casually toying with her made her explode into a pile of fragments, and she even let out only half a shriek! Yet it wasn’t good enough to shatter her so easily. It hadn’t been enough time to completely vent the burning rage that filled me!

I looked around. The four women…

Ann and Jasmine were both very nervous, although they were doing their best to repress it. Sure enough, they were worthy of being princesses. On the outside, they could still maintain a considerable coolness; only their breathing was not quite even and their bodies were slightly tensed. Compared to Alice’s smile and Charlotte’s obstinacy, their reaction was lot more normal.

Ann seemed to want to reach out and pick up her axes, but she was stopped by Alice. I’ll grant that she’s clever. Raising a weapon at me right now is not a wise move at all!

Scarlet, no… Oh right, there’s still Stephen.

I smiled as I looked at Stephen, but he merely cast me a glance. There was a strong overtone of contempt, and an even greater implication of “kill me if you want; I couldn’t care less.”

Regarding Stephen, I really did not know what could be used to control him. Liches only cared about their own demon king candidate, but Charlotte had already died, so there was nothing that could be used to control him.

Damn it! I roared, “Scarlet, take these princesses and lock them in the dungeons!”

“All right,” Scarlet nodded, but then she asked hesitantly, “Not including Alice and Charlotte, right?”

“Of course excluding them.” I waved my hand, feeling immensely impatient. Without another word, I teleported away.

I wandered around in the Demon King’s Castle as I pleased, trying hard to observe my surroundings. I wanted to suppress the agitation that filled my heart.

The area that the Demon King’s Castle occupied was extensive. Even up until now, I hadn’t managed to visit every place. There were indeed many new and odd things to look at inside, such as a series of relief sculptures telling stories. Walking through one corridor, I just so happened to read an entire story. The stories in every corridor were different, and they were not the historical tales that could be seen elsewhere. Each one was a never-before-seen and wonderful legend. For example, knights fighting an evil dragon…

Boom!

Even after ruining an entire stretch of relief sculptures, my feelings were still a complete mess. Any other story would have been fine, but I had the misfortune to walk into a corridor with knights fighting an evil dragon. It made me recall that time I had amnesia and everyone came over through a teleportation circle, and then together, we battled against the dragon…

“Why did I want to have power? Something like power… I had long since possessed that already,” was it?

What kind of power was that?! Only now do I truly have power– Let’s see who still dares to disobey me!

“Your Majesty?”

Adair jogged over and went down on one knee. “Salutations, Your Majesty.” Only then did he ask anxiously, “Your Majesty, has someone infuriated you?”

Looking at Adair’s deferential attitude, my feelings immediately improved a lot, so much so that I was even a little cheerful. These kinds of wide fluctuations in my mood were really hard to regulate. Especially recently, it was even harder to control my temper than before.

Is the effect of the dark element really that fast? The moment I started thinking about it, I couldn’t stop.

How much longer do I have before I go completely insane?

The day I go crazy, will I really attack everyone I know?

If that’s the case, then there was no need for me to come and be the Demon King! So what if I rescue the entire world? If everyone I care about dies, what difference would there be between this world and an obliterated one?! I might as well just destroy it and let it be—

Adair shouted, “Your Majesty, please don’t be alone in your distress. Let your subordinate share your burden and dispel your worries!”

My mood shifted from anxiousness to delight, and finally to agitation. I even felt that I was panting. I fixed my gaze on Adair, hoping that I could retrieve the cheerfulness from just now. However, looking at Adair kneeling on the ground, I suddenly had doubts.

Adair is extremely obedient indeed, but has he ever… bowed and scraped like this?

Although he took orders from me, every single one of the platoon members in the Sun Knight Platoon listened to him. Ceo had also said before that, no matter whether Adair was in the palace, Holy Temple, or among the commoners, he was always popular. Even Elijah, who was on the verge of becoming the princess’s husband, called him his brother. Adding on his highly proficient swordsmanship, no matter how much I pondered, Adair was definitely not a guy who would kneel on the ground!

In that case, how did the “Adair” kneeling on the ground before, me repeating “Your Majesty” over and over again, happen?

“Adair, rise. Tell me, how is the current progress with the war?”

Adair got up and smiled as he said, “There isn’t much that requires Your Majesty’s concern. Illu has been doing great. Although we’ve had several recent infantry battles with the army of the Holy Temple, we’ve continuously gained the upper hand. They have not made much progress toward the Demon King’s Castle.”

I nodded my head, saying, “I’ve brought Elmairy’s and Elijah’s princesses here. They should be useful, right? Using the princesses to threaten them ought to be pretty good.”

Adair blinked, and then forced a smile as he said, “My apologies, Your Majesty. I fear they would not be of much use. Even if we stopped Knight-Captain Leaf and Elijah, there would be a limit to the effect on the entire army.”

“It seems that your words are also true.” I laughed as I said, “Since they are useless, then we’ll use them as blood sacrifices!”

Adair’s heart thumped heavily, but it wasn’t outwardly displayed at all. If it wasn’t that the way I “looked” at people now was so ridiculously thorough that I could even see his blood circulation clearly, I probably wouldn’t perceive any difference either.

“I really do need a bit of mental preparation to kill princesses!” Adair smiled helplessly. This seemed to be able to explain his earlier reaction. He advised me, “However, Your Majesty, blood sacrifices may instead arouse the fighting strength of our opponents and result in unnecessary losses.”

I said coldly, “In any case, this war was originally a pointless conflict. So what if I add another unnecessary sacrifice?”

“Understood. I’ll do as you wish.”

Up until this point, nothing had seemed unusual. However, I felt that there was something wrong with the “Adair” before my eyes. From saying “Your Majesty” over and over again, to kneeling and saluting, to even promptly accepting the order to kill two princesses, none of them were things that the vice-captain I knew would do.

“What is the likelihood that the army of the Holy Temple will be able to fight their way to the Demon King’s Castle?”

Adair answered without hesitation, “Zero.”

“I thought so,” I muttered. “But what kind of person is Lesus? He’s faced all sorts of wicked criminals since he was young, and is that exceedingly cool-headed and self-controlled Knight-Captain Judgment! Why would he not be able to understand this? Has his temper exploded? No, nothing like that is enough to make Lesus send a large group of holy knights to their deaths… Your heart is beating rather heavily, Adair.”

Adair immediately replied, “Your Majesty, now that you’ve pointed it out, it seems very suspicious to me, too!”

“Oh, then, what do you think could be some possible explanations?”

Adair frowned for a long while, and then shook his head as he said, “Your Majesty, I am unable to make a deduction.”

“You can’t even make a single guess?” I chuckled as I said, “I didn’t know that you were so useless. Or… are there other reasons? For example, no matter what, you can’t tell me the ‘explanation!’”

Adair’s expression changed and he said resolutely, “There isn’t anything of the sort, Your Majesty. Please believe that I am devoted to you forever!”

I fell silent for a while. Adair’s expression was truly flawless.

“The army of the Holy Temple should also include the Sun Knight Platoon. Don’t you care at all about their fate?”

“Your Majesty, could it be, you truly do not believe me?” Adair seemed crestfallen. “From as early as when I defected to your side, I’ve been keeping a firm resolution to renounce everyone else!”

Renounce everyone else? The Holy Temple, the other eleven Holy Knights, the vice-captains, even the members of the Sun Knight Platoon who have been through everything with you?

I thought for a moment, then teleported away. But the next moment I appeared in front of Adair again, except there was a person in my hands—Vidar.

I threw Vidar onto the ground, and he stifled a groan. The previous wounds he had received when I had blasted him into a wall had not been given proper treatment. He was still not fully healed. Some of his injuries also seemed to be inflamed.

When he raised his head and saw Adair, Vidar was first shocked, and then he glared at Adair, as if he had some sort of deep hatred for him.

“You two haven’t seen each other in a long while, right?” I used dark element to restrain Vidar, making him kneel before Adair. Other than lifting his head, he couldn’t move at all. Then, I asked lightly, “Have you been to the dungeons to see Vidar?”

Adair shook his head, saying, “No.”

“That’s good then. We can avoid a situation in which you recall your past friendship and are unable to deal the blow. Adair, kill Vidar. I’ve already learned how to make a bodyguard. Kill him and let me turn him into one.”

Adair’s heart suddenly tightened.

“What’s wrong?” I purposely asked even though I knew the answer. “Is there a problem?”

Adair put on a smile and said, “No, there isn’t. I will kill him now, immediately!”

He drew the sword at his waist and bent his head to look at Vidar. The angle at which the latter knelt was absolutely perfect. With a downward slash of his sword, there would definitely be a human head rolling on the ground.

Hurry up, Adair. You better not stab your sword into his chest. His position clearly indicates that chopping off his head is the most straightforward way. If you choose to stab his chest, you’re fishing in troubled waters.

But for a long time, his sword didn’t swing downwards.

Vidar raised his head and shouted at Adair, “You traitor! If you want to kill me, then kill me! If you want to slice off my flesh, then go ahead. Don’t hold back, come on!”

From beginning to end, Vidar’s heartbeat and expression didn’t match up at all. When he looked at me, his heartbeat thumped like a drum. However, when he looked at Adair, it was almost gentle. This wasn’t a reaction that one would have when facing a “traitor.” He wasn’t the least bit angry at Adair. On the contrary, looking at him calmed his emotions.

His acting skills are truly a failure.

Although Adair’s acting skills were excellent, he couldn’t transfer them to others. Since I couldn’t force him to fumble, then letting someone else make the mistake worked just as well.

At that moment, Adair slashed downward at Vidar. The latter lowered his head and closed his eyes, waiting for the moment of death. However, he couldn’t help trembling. Even if he was somewhat prepared to meet his death, it was too much to expect a young man of twenty to welcome it with open arms.

“Your Majesty?”

Adair asked, confused, as there was a giant hand gripping his sword. It was a hand I had constructed out of the dark element.

“Adair, you made a very big mistake.” As I spoke, the giant hand twisted and broke Adair’s sword, then tossed it aside.

“Mistake?” Adair took an involuntary step back.

“If I’d really wanted to stop the Church of the God of Light from crusading against me, I could have done it by simply completely killing off the Twelve Holy Knights. However, I didn’t do anything like that. Having said this, do you know where you’ve erred?”

Adair froze, and then his face turned a bit pale.

You finally understand now? I gave a cold laugh.

It is impossible for someone to abandon former comrades at the drop of a hat, without keeping a single trace of affection. Not even I, the Demon King, am able to raise a sword to slaughter them, yet Adair, you can do it so ruthlessly. As long as I gave you the command, you would even raise your sword against your fellow vice-captain, Vidar, whom you are close friends with. I certainly didn’t know that my own vice-captain was so heartless!

The clues were all there, but once again I had turned a blind eye to it. Just like that time I didn’t realize that Roland was the last demon king candidate, and so I ended up dead by his hand!

It was only because I didn’t want to expose the truth.

The giant hand closed on Adair, but though this action was rather rough, Adair only groaned softly. Conversely, it was Vidar who yelled, “Adair!”

“What are you planning to do?” I walked closer to Adair and roared, “No, the proper question should be, ‘What is Lesus planning to do,’ right?!”

Adair looked at me, his eyes full of acceptance, as if he was already intending to meet death. This made my fury burn even stronger!

The giant hand gripped him tighter and tighter. Even he couldn’t help showing an expression of agony. This method of holding the person would render one unable to breathe. If I were to squeeze him a little tighter, I think even his ribs would break.

“Stop it!” Vidar yelled anxiously. “He can’t breathe anymore! You’ll kill him!”

Compared to the experienced Adair, Vidar seemed more like a young man. He was impulsive, hot-blooded, and lacking an awareness of sacrifice. Indeed, that’s why a superior can’t be too serious, or his subordinates wouldn’t have any opportunities to train.

“In order to accomplish his mission, Adair nearly killed you just now. Now, he must pay the consequences for his wrongdoing. What are you upset about?”

Vidar glared at me, his heart beating heavily yet not too quickly. Now his furious expression and his heartbeat matched up correctly.

“The person who nearly killed me was you!”

I smiled as I looked at him, and removed his restraints. The moment Vidar felt his body lighten, he ran to Adair’s side and frantically attacked the giant hand. It wasn’t that his attack was weak, just that once the giant hand was damaged, dark element would immediately repair it. No matter how much he attacked it, it was futile.

Time passed second by second, and Adair fell into a semi-unconscious state. Vidar finally yielded. He groveled and begged me, “Please don’t kill him. Adair has always been loyal and devoted to you—”

“What is Lesus planning to do?” I interrupted his superfluous words.

Hearing this question, the color of Vidar’s face changed. He hesitated and turned to look at Adair, but Adair was no longer in any state to give him hints.

I said indifferently, “You have thirty more seconds to think it over. He can still bear it, probably.”

However, when he heard this, Vidar clenched his teeth and said, “The army was only used to divert your attention. The Twelve Holy Knight-Captains are actually going to teleport straight into the Demon King’s Castle to look for you!”

“That’s impossible!” I frowned as I rejected it. “They can’t teleport in here. Don’t joke around with me!”

The Demon King’s Castle had very powerful wards against magic. I was the only one who could teleport directly in. Everyone else had to carry around a magic article that was connected to a magic circle in the castle, and only by using it could they teleport in. It was utterly impossible for someone to accomplish it unaided.

Vidar said quietly, “That’s why the Knight-Captains had Adair head here to the Demon King’s Castle to set up a teleportation circle in advance.”

The giant hand slackened and Adair fell onto the ground. Vidar immediately rushed forward to examine him, but almost immediately exclaimed, “He’s not breathing! Adair!”

“… Pound on his chest forcefully.”

Hearing that, Vidar struck down hastily… but he used a bit too much strength, and Adair’s ribs broke. However, this move was clearly very effective. Adair curled up in pain, but at least he moved.

I waited for Adair to catch his breath before walking over to him. With a wave of my hand, I sent Vidar flying into a wall, incapacitating him. Thereafter, I looked down and asked, “Adair, why have you betrayed me?”

Adair was shocked, and protested hurriedly, “Captain, I haven’t betrayed you!”

“Like hell you haven’t! And you can actually say it so naturally!” There aren’t even any abnormalities in your heart rate! I shouted at him, “You followed Lesus’s orders to come here as an undercover agent, yet you still dare say you haven’t betrayed me?!”

However, Adair shouted back in a voice even louder than mine, “I’m not obeying Knight-Captain Judgment’s orders, but yours!”

Mine?

“Captain, ‘Even when I am the Demon King, I will still want to be the Sun Knight!’—Don’t tell me these weren’t the words you told Knight-Captain Storm? I am only carrying out your will. I came to bring you back to continue being the Sun Knight! I haven’t betrayed you, sir!”

Adair’s sincerity wasn’t an act at all. Rather, it was because he firmly believed it from the bottom of his heart that there weren’t any abnormalities in his heartbeat. Should I call him amazing, or stupidly devoted? Why couldn’t he be willing to just obediently take up the position of the Sun Knight?

“But you’re wrong—I don’t want to be the Sun Knight!” I was unable to hold back my rage and yelled, “Not even killing five hundred holy knights is enough to make this clear?!”

No, not just that number: from the beginning of the war till now, far more than just five hundred holy knights must have died. So many people have already died…

“Why is it that even now, none of you are able to understand it? I can no longer return!”

Since the moment that I became the Demon King, I knew that I would not be able to go back again!

Every minute, every second, I have to constantly battle with the dark element. Every person living by my side must live in fear. If I were to lose for a single instant, they could very well be killed!

How could I possibly return to Leaf Bud City, return to the Church of the God of Light?

“You can return, Captain.” Adair smiled unexpectedly and said, “Because no one has died at all, not a single person. That battle was only fought for your viewing pleasure, nothing more.”

“…What?”

I was stunned. How is this possible? I clearly saw holy knights falling down and not getting up again… And then I left. I didn’t stay to watch the end of the battle. So it turns out that those five hundred people didn’t actually die?

No, whether they died or not, it doesn’t matter!

“Even if those five hundred people did not die, it has nothing to do with me! I don’t want to go back at all. I have everything in the Demon King’s Castle. Compared to the shabbiness of the Church of the God of Light, it’s an infinite number of times better!”

Other than jewels, stone sculptures, and corpses… What else is there here?

“Wherever I wish to go, I can use teleportation and go there immediately. I’m absolutely free!”

I’m at a complete loss as to where to go.

“No one can restrict me!”

There’s no one by my side at all…

“I’m very happy!” I shouted with all my might, simply hoping to convince them… and myself.

However, Adair still said obstinately, “Captain, the Demon King’s Castle doesn’t have the holy knights that you always protect, and it doesn’t have the Sun Knight Platoon. Moreover, it doesn’t have the Twelve Holy Knights whom you regard as brothers! There is nothing here. It’s basically a ghost town! This is a specialized prison to lock the Demon King in!”

Damn it—

After saying all of this, Adair abruptly closed his mouth and only stared at my face. I didn’t know what he was looking at, and in my current state, I didn’t have the slightest inclination to use farsight to see.

“Since you know…” I tried to smile, but couldn’t manage to do it and simply gave up. “Why did you all come to tear my new world apart?!”

Only after I finished screaming did I realize that my voice was cracking.

“Captain…”

Adair looked distressed, and even Vidar, who had been crushed against the wall, was failing to glare at me. What are the two of them doing? I’m about to kill them! Bastards!

“Do you know how much determination I’ve had to muster to close myself into this prison? In order to sever all alternative routes, I even unhesitatingly gave you a command to kill five hundred holy knights! Is all of that still not enough for you?”

I looked at Adair and Vidar, and chuckled as I said, “If I throw the corpses of you two in front of Lesus, and throw the corpses of Ann and Jasmine at Elmairy’s and Elijah’s feet, will that be enough?”

Following the utterance of the words “be enough,” Adair also flew into the wall and was unable to move, joining Vidar in his predicament. The walls of the corridor previously held the relief sculptures that I had just destroyed. They were uneven and sharp. Hurtling both into them was definitely not a comfortable matter.

This time, I could not let them off again.

Adair said with difficulty, “Cap-Captain, please don’t do anything that you will regret.”

I looked at him and suddenly burst out laughing. The more I laughed, the louder my laughter became—

“Haha, how do you know that I will actually regret killing you?”

As long as I killed him, he would not say any more things that would put me in a bad mood. Such an easy way to resolve the problem–why have I hesitated?

“Your plan is to use a teleportation circle to let the Twelve Holy Knights come over?” I laughed as I said, “I, on the other hand, want to know, in these circumstances where you can’t move and can’t even speak, what method do you have to cry for help? Don’t claim I have no care for our camaraderie. I’ll give you ten seconds to come up with a way to call for help. After ten seconds, I will kill you both!”

However, Adair didn’t do anything. He merely watched me. I was somewhat hoping that he would show an expression of despair. It had been way too long since I had seen him make an expression like that.

I remember the first time we met, Adair was as excited as if he had found the lover of his dreams. But when he discovered that my real personality differed from my outer appearance, and my swordsmanship was particularly astonishing—astonishingly terrible—he first appeared as if he had been struck by lightning under a clear sky, and then as if I had cheated his feelings.

I had to spend a lot of effort to make him recognize me as his captain from the bottom of his heart. In the “teaching” process, he had showed expressions that were close to despair, but only close to… This time, I should be able to see his true expression of despair, right?

A large dark blade floated by my side. If this blade were launched, both of them would definitely be split in two at the center.

“Goodbye, Adair.” I released the restraint on his mouth. At the very least, I should give him a chance to say his last words.

At that moment, Adair smiled sadly and unexpectedly said, “I’m sorry, Captain. I’ve failed.”

“…” I waved my hand. The dark blade also followed and rose up, then slashed downward—

“Big brother! Don’t kill anyone!”

Elaro stood by the doorway, his face full of alarm. I had actually already discovered him a while ago; I just didn’t care. What could an eight-year old child do…? Hold on a minute! I turned my head to look at Adair, and said suspiciously, “Your heart rate has slowed down—why?”

Nothing has happened at all, only Elaro appeared… Elaro? He was looking at me with a remorseful expression. This hardly made me feel reassured, and I asked him at once, “Elaro! What have you done—? Eh!”

The place where Elaro was standing suddenly exploded. In a moment, an immense amount of burning light attacked me, making me feel as if I were about to die. Under the pressure of such huge amounts of light, which made me blind to everything but a stretch of white before my eyes, I couldn’t even tell if I was alive or not, let alone use my sensing ability or farsight.

“Captain? Are you okay?”

I heard Adair’s voice as he apologized in a tone that didn’t carry a single trace of remorse.

“Captain, I’m sorry. In order to prepare for any eventualities, I even lied to Vidar. Only the Twelve Holy Knight-Captains and I know the real plan. This teleportation circle isn’t actually for the Twelve Holy Knight-Captains to teleport over, but to teleport you out.

“Also, when I learned that Vidar had been captured, I was afraid that our scheme would be exposed. So I had already passed the magical artifact for teleportation to Elaro. I am truly grateful to you for bringing him to the Demon King’s Castle.”

Go to hell!