You, have you heard of the existence?
Of the Demon of Darkness.
With two hands, he brought down the sun.
With two eyes, he crushed the nine-tailed fox.
With powers close to omniscience. Even the goddess of great desire could not match him.
How could such a monster even exist?
The moment you meet his gaze,
the battle will already be over.
Just sensing his presence makes you lose the will to fight.
A being of terror.
The monster known as the Demon of Darkness.
Do you know of him?
*
“Catherine. Do you really believe that?”
Ariel looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Catherine replied with a bright smile.
“Of course not! It’s just a song the bards have been singing lately. I was curious, so I listened.”
“Such courage, you juniors. To be so carefree in a situation like this.”
As Charlotte chastised them, the two began to whistle and look away as if they had planned it.
“Charlotte-senpai is right. Everyone is too relaxed.”
The pure white saintess spoke calmly, and only then did seriousness creep onto the faces of the two women.
“The decisive battle is right around the corner, so we should be a bit more cautious… right, Lily?”
The saintess blushed as she approached the silver-haired woman.
Lily quietly gazed at the saintess for a moment before turning away and started to sheath her dagger.
“Ugh…”
Despite Lily’s cold indifference, for some reason, the saintess’s cheeks turned even redder.
But before the saintess could say anything, Hailey raised her bow and assumed a defensive stance.
“The spirits are frightened. They’re definitely here somewhere inside.”
She carefully moved closer to my side and asked,
“Are you ready, Robin?”
At Hailey’s words, I calmly steadied my mind and nodded.
“It’s time to end this.”
As I gripped the sacred sword, bright light began to seep around me.
Holding the warm power close to my heart, I approached the massive door in front of us.
“Robin.”
Catherine and Ariel clung to my arms, wearing radiant smiles.
“When we safely finish off the Demon King… marry me, okay?”
“Haha… what are you saying, Catherine? Of course, I go first! Right, Robin?”
Even in this tense situation, they spoke as if it didn’t matter at all.
Tap-
“Gah!”
I lightly struck both their heads with the edge of my hand, and they winced slightly.
“Both of you, stay focused.”
“Hmph.”
“Tch.”
As I quietly approached the entrance, the remaining companions followed me.
“We’re going in.”
There’s no time to hesitate.
It’s already been years since we have fought for this day.
Today, we will definitively defeat the Demon King and bring peace to this world.
…
How long has it been?
We’ve faced countless powerful demons and monsters,
but my companions and I, seasoned from many battles, made it here effortlessly.
The hero of the Sacred Sword, I.
Ariel, the archmage who reached the 8th circle of magic.
Catherine, the beastkin known as the Lion King.
Hailey, the high elf of noble birth.
Lily, the empire’s greatest assassin.
Charlotte, the genius strategist princess of the empire.
And the saintess blessed by the goddess with a unique ability.
A party close to invincible.
Surely, we’ve faced the Demon King before.
Then we lost, but now victory will undoubtedly be on our side.
I vowed to not let anyone get hurt.
I will defeat the Demon King and move forward.
“There’s something behind this door.”
The saintess spoke with a tense expression.
Only now does it seem real, as her words made the surrounding companions swallow their dry saliva one by one.
I can feel it clearly.
The tremendous presence behind this door.
The ruler of the demons. The immortal being known as a catastrophe.
The Demon King.
She waits for us beyond this door.
“…Huh.”
A drop of cold sweat trickled down my back.
No matter how calm I usually am, at this moment, my heart could not help but pound fiercely.
It’s time to end my precious journey with my companions of many years.
[Don’t worry, Hero!]
From the sacred sword, a resonant voice filled my head.
“Ruin.”
[Surely you will be able to do this, Hero!]
Encouraged by the support, I gripped the sacred sword tightly, and it trembled as if filled with joy.
Yeah, don’t be afraid.
I believe. In myself and my companions.
All the countless memories we’ve shared.
I steadied my heart and turned to my companions.
“Are you all ready?”
Their faces were etched with tension, but simultaneously filled with determination tied by trust in each other.
After confirming that everyone was ready, we stepped forward and opened the massive door before us.
Creeeak-
What appeared as the door opened was a vast, shadowy landscape. But in contrast, it was an eerily empty space.
As we climbed up the long red carpet laid out from below,
we found her.
With long red hair that reached down to her feet,
and striking crimson eyes that suited her perfectly.
A giant pair of wings and two formidable horns resembling her presence.
Mawang Arbes.
She sat regally upon the throne, looking down at us.
But…
“Who is that woman?”
Ariel, who had somehow approached me, looked at the Demon King with a panicked expression.
I too felt a sense of alarm.
We had surely dealt with all the demons except for the Demon King.
I shifted my gaze from the Demon King to her.
Sitting on the floor beneath the throne,
the mysterious demon had her head resting on the Demon King’s knee, looking blissful as she was being petted.
Her hair was a deep and dark black, darker than the night sky.
As she turned her gaze toward us, her fiery red eyes locked onto us.
“…..Saint Wall!”
An unknown emotion struck my heart violently.
Instinctively, enveloped by a chilling feeling, I raised my sacred sword and erected a holy barrier around myself and my companions.
“…..”
The woman looked down at us, seemingly displeased, with one eyebrow raised.
Then she climbed onto Erbes’s lap and whispered sweetly into the Demon King’s ear.
“Great Demon King, may I take care of them?”
The Demon King looked at her, blushing slightly, then chuckled softly and stroked her hair.
“Go ahead. Do whatever you want.”
Upon receiving the Demon King’s permission, she slowly stood up and began to step towards us one by one.
The instant I faced her, my mind went blank.
An unparalleled beauty one could only describe as sensual.
My companions, all known beauties in their own right, could not compare to the aura she exuded.
Gazing at her, an inexplicable feeling of fear washed over me.
‘…What in the world is she?’
I had never heard of a demon that gave off such a vibe.
“Sis…?”
Following the direction of a trembling voice behind me, I caught sight of Lily, her eyes teary and body shaking.
“Lily?”
The girl who always had darkened eyes filled only with obsession toward me,
to see her in such a state was utterly shocking.
The woman gazed at Lily for a moment,
then with a seductive smile, she reached out a hand toward her.
“Lily. Come to your sister.”
“Uh… sis…”
With a shaking breath and tear-filled eyes, she began to walk slowly toward the woman as if entranced.
“Lily!”
I reached out in an attempt to stop Lily, but she dodged my hand and moved in front of the woman.
I rushed forward to chase after her.
“Don’t.”
Noticing something amiss, Charlotte blocked my path.
“Charlotte! Lily is in danger—”
“Don’t run recklessly. Remember, you’re the key to our party, Robin. Leave this to the saintess.”
“…Alright, fine.”
Her serious demeanor made me finally shut my eyes tight and take a step back.
She was right.
Only I, who inherited the goddess’s power, could defeat the Demon King.
If I lost my judgment, it would endanger the world that day.
Seeing the woman’s alluring presence and Lily’s reaction,
it was likely Lily had fallen under some sort of mental spell.
It was best to leave this to the saintess.
However, as I looked at the saintess,
she too was blushing, breathing heavily, and merely gazing at the two women.
There was no doubt that they were not acting normally.
‘…This can’t be. Even the saintess blessed by the goddess cannot resist?’
I turned my head back, my fears swelling as I watched her soothing Lily’s head.
Lily, under her touch, was simply crying without a word.
“Ah… I heard you were dead…”
“…That’s right. I was definitely dead once.”
The woman’s eyes briefly flared, then suddenly cooled down.
“That woman ruined everything for me. But it’s alright, Lily. The Demon King saved me.”
“Ma…King..?”
As Lily tried to turn her trembling eyes to the Demon King,
the woman quickly grabbed Lily’s cheeks and pressed her forehead against Lily’s.
Smack-
With a quick kiss.
Lily’s eyes went wide, and the woman spoke immediately after.
“Lily, your sister hates humans. But not you.”
With a bewitching smile, the woman caressed Lily’s cheeks.
“So, Lily. Will you stay by my side from now on?”
“I… will…”
Lily stared blankly at her for a moment, but soon nodded, her eyes showing acceptance for whatever it may be.
“Okay. I’ll always be on your side, sister.”
“Good girl, my little sister.”
The woman gently patted Lily’s head and then began to walk toward us.
With each step she took, I felt an inexplicable trap tightening around me.
[Focus, Hero!]
“…Ah.”
At Ruin’s call, my consciousness returned.
I bit my tongue and glanced at my companions.
Charlotte and Catherine. Hailey and Ariel, and finally the saintess.
Though they hadn’t fallen under the spell like Lily, they were sweating profusely, seemingly resisting something.
“Everyone, snap out of it!”
At my words, their eyes slowly returned to normal.
I clenched my jaw, turned to face the woman, and asked.
“Who are you?”
The woman looked back at me with a sultry smile.
“Ah, the protagonist is different.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Uh, there’s a backstory.”
Right. No matter what her identity is, she is still an enemy.
There was no need to hesitate any longer.
If I delayed any further, I wouldn’t know what might happen to me.
My unique ability, the Indomitable Will, wasn’t helping me at all right now.
In a low yet simmering voice, I pointed my sacred sword toward her.
“I, Robin, the Hero of the Sacred Sword, will defeat you for the peace of the world.”
The woman giggled and then bowed her head slightly in my direction before responding.
“I am the Fourth Legion Commander, Hesilaya.”
Then she extended her hand toward me.
“Nice to meet you, Hero.”
Red mana swirled toward me.
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