Miserable Defeat (1)
A few months earlier, when the Demon King's army had invaded the Empire.
Demon King Sharit had led her forces personally to confront Kyle.
There was only one reason: to settle the score she had failed to finish in their previous battle.
"So this is the place? Where Hero Kyle is said to be."
She stood atop the mountain range, gazing down at the Empire's soldiers.
Even from afar, those vivid crimson eyes and the killing intent radiating from her were unmistakable. Faced with that overwhelming presence, not a single one of the Empire's soldiers dared step forward.
All except one.
"Well, well. Must've been a long trip all the way out here."
Amid the terror that had frozen everyone solid, a leisurely voice rang out.
Thud. Thud.
Footsteps echoed across the silent battlefield, and soon Kyle emerged from among the ranks of soldiers.
Sharit spotted him and let out a short laugh.
"Hmph. This is the first time We have ever left the Demon King's Castle. Consider it an honor."
"That so? Well, this place is a lot sunnier than that gloomy hole of yours, I'll give it that."
"What did you say?"
"Don't worry. I'll bury your corpse real nice and proper."
Kyle provoked the Demon King with a sly grin.
Watching his back, the soldiers found their fear beginning to melt away.
"Ha. Still as insolent as ever."
With those words she raised her hand, and the demonkin who had been hiding behind the mountain range revealed themselves.
Beneath the blue sky, tens of thousands of red eyes looked down upon humanity.
The soldiers finally grasped the reality of it.
The beings that had threatened and dominated humanity for centuries had at last come to invade the Empire.
"U-ugh..."
Not only the soldiers but the Hero's companions trembled at the sight of the Demon King they were seeing for the first time.
In truth, during the previous battle Kyle had entered the Demon King's Castle alone.
Having read the original story, he had known.
The countless traps and demonkin within the castle. How the original protagonist, Damian, would lose two of his companions because of them.
Unwilling to repeat that tragedy, Kyle had stationed his companions near the castle and charged in by himself.
Thus this was the first time his companions had ever laid eyes on the Demon King, and facing her majesty head-on, they understood.
How the Demon King had reigned over the continent for centuries. Why every Hero before them had failed.
"H-how are we supposed to kill something like that..."
Yuli muttered, backing away.
Even the Hero's companions were paralyzed with fear, and the soldiers felt the dread they had been desperately suppressing creep back up their spines.
If only they could, they would have fled the battlefield that very instant. Just as the soldiers were about to break formation—
"Man. It's always the empty ones that put on the flashiest show."
Kyle's casual remark rooted everyone in place.
Shiiing.
He drew the Holy Sword and turned to look at the soldiers.
"Take your time, everyone. I'll go on ahead and wait for you."
Without even issuing a proper advance order, Kyle strode forward alone.
He, too, feared death. He was not certain of victory, nor did he possess spare lives.
The wounds he had suffered in the previous battle against the Demon King had been so agonizing he never wanted to recall them.
Even so, he did not stop walking toward her.
Because he was the Hero.
He had always stood at the vanguard, closest to death, and led everyone forward.
"I'm coming, Demon King."
"Very well. Let us settle this."
With those words Kyle charged toward the Demon King's army.
At the sight of his back, the soldiers followed without a single exception, and—
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
—that war became the first battle in which humanity had ever defeated the demonkin.
A small village in the southern reaches of the Runel Kingdom.
Beside that village, thousands of soldiers were now pitching tents and constructing a camp.
The reason was the mountain next to the village. The Demon King was hiding in a cave there.
They were not, however, the kingdom's soldiers.
They were Imperial troops. Calling themselves the Demon King Subjugation Force, they had been camped here for two days already.
"Damian, try this! It's really good!"
"Have some of this too. Or shall I feed it to you?"
"Ahaha. Thank you."
Yet for a place on the brink of war, there was not a trace of tension to be found.
Emilia and Jain were still competing over Damian.
Even with the Demon King right in front of them, the two clung to his side like girls out on a date.
"Whoa, a butterfly!"
"S-Saintess! Please wait!"
Alice was dazed, chasing after a fluttering butterfly, while holy knights and devotees scrambled after her in a panic.
The other soldiers were no better. There was not even a single sentry posted at the camp.
Most were either drunk or spending time with women inside the tents.
Not a soul was keeping watch for the Demon King so close at hand.
Looking at the scene alone, one would have thought it a festival rather than a war.
"What in the world..."
Muni, who had been watching this spectacle for two full days, could not finish her sentence.
This was not a problem that could be fixed by scolding one or two soldiers.
She stormed straight into the tent of the subjugation force's leader.
"Hey, Yuli! What the hell are you—"
But an even worse sight awaited her inside.
"Ahh, well if it isn't our Magic Commander."
Yuli, already thoroughly drunk, was harassing the village women. Even after she entered he kept hiccupping and fondling the woman in his arms, and Muni was appalled.
"What do you think you're doing right now?"
"Huh? Can't you tell? I'm drinking. Quit standing there and come pour yourself a glass."
He held out a cup toward her regardless, but—
Clang!
Muni could take no more and slapped it away.
"Have you even looked at the state of the soldiers outside? The Demon King is right in front of us and instead of attacking you're just sitting here doing what?!"
"Come on, what's the rush? The kids had a hard time getting all the way here. Let them rest a bit first."
"Why does it have to be now? You can rest after we kill the Demon King!"
Drink? Food? Women? All of that could wait until after the Demon King was dead.
Climb the mountain beside them and the cave where she was hiding would appear.
Yet the moment they arrived at this village, Yuli had set up camp right next to it.
For two whole days, no less.
For the past month he had been the one driving the soldiers hard and hurrying them along the road.
His sudden display of leisure defied all common sense, and so she could only reach an uncommon conclusion.
Muni stared at him with a look of dawning horror.
"Yuli. Don't tell me... you're planning to use this village?"
At those words Yuli let out a short laugh.
It was the expression of a mischievous child whose prank had been found out.
"Hey, I've been thinking it over these past few days. Wouldn't it be too boring if we just took the Demon King down straight?"
"What?"
"An event this big needs dramatic staging to match. For example... Hero Yuli, who slew the Demon King after she massacred the villagers. How's that sound?"
The corner of Yuli's mouth curled higher and higher as he spoke.
Her face, by contrast, twisted in pure shock.
"A-are you out of your mind?"
"Ah, still too small-scale? Then maybe we should kill about half the soldiers too. That way my heroics will stand out even more, right?"
Muni could not comprehend the words coming out of his mouth. No—she did not want to comprehend them.
She turned to leave the tent and evacuate the villagers.
"Y-you're completely insane. First we need to get the villagers to safety—"
Thud.
The fist holding the liquor bottle slammed straight into her stomach.
Muni clutched her midsection and crumpled to the ground.
"Hey. Don't do anything stupid. Unless you want another beating."
"Khh... you bastard..."
"And why the hell does this bitch keep talking down to me? Hey. Magic Commander. Get your head straight. I'm Hero Yuli. The leader of this entire subjugation force."
He seized her by the hair and yanked her head up.
"So just shut your mouth and do as I say."
"Th-this is a kingdom. If this turns into a diplomatic incident, are you going to take responsibility?"
"Hey. You know everything gets fixed the moment we kill the Demon King, right? We slew the Demon King—so what if one little village disappears? Or you can pack your bags and go home right now."
"Kh..."
Muni ground her teeth.
She had come this far to bring Kyle back to life.
She believed the Demon King's mana would surely provide a way to save him.
She could not turn around empty-handed after coming all this way.
In the end Muni chose silence, head bowed, and Yuli, satisfied, lifted his cup again.
"Alright then. Let's drink while we wait for our target to take the bait."
Leaving her still clutching her stomach, he stepped out of the tent and looked toward the mountain where the Demon King was hiding.
He had met her once, so he knew. How warlike that Demon King bitch was.
Just for one more fight with Kyle, she had left the Demon King's Castle after thousands of years and marched an army all the way to the Empire.
The moment she learned a Hero was in this village, she would come charging without a second thought.
And in the process of hunting for Kyle, the vengeful Demon King would naturally sacrifice this village.
If a few soldiers died along the way, even better.
Then he would simply slice off the neck of the nearly dead Demon King.
The perfect scenario.
"Even if she runs, with that wounded body of hers, how far could she get? We'll just chase her down and finish her off."
Even if the Demon King left the village untouched, it did not matter. He could simply fabricate it the way he had with Kyle.
All he needed to do was make it look as though the Demon King had wiped the village out.
"Heh. Hope she gets here soon."
The liquor tasted especially sweet today, Yuli thought, already raising a toast to his victory.
Inside a pitch-dark cave, the Demon King and a hundred or so demonkin waited.
"Y-Your Majesty!!"
A demonkin who had been infiltrating the village below returned.
The Demon King, who had been leaning against the wall with her eyes closed, slowly opened them and rose to her feet.
"So. They have come."
At her quiet question the demonkin nodded.
She wordlessly extended her hand, and her soldiers brought forth the Demonic Sword.
"Then let us go."
Screeech, screeech—
Dragging the Demonic Sword along the ground, Sharit headed out of the cave. The demonkin followed behind her.
Their destination was the village at the foot of this mountain. But contrary to Yuli's expectations, their target was not Hero Kyle.
It was—
"It is time for judgment."
—the Demon King Subjugation Force waiting there.