Demon King Slayer
Beyond the barriers, in the uncharted territories of the Chaos Zone where humanity had yet to set foot, a massive ancient fortress loomed in the deep shadows. This stronghold, claimed by several Demon Kings as their domain, was known among their kind as the Demon King's Castle.
"Yaaawn..."
In a particularly secluded chamber of the castle, a woman let out a long yawn. She was a striking figure, with messy purple hair and deep dark circles hanging heavily beneath her eyes. Her disheveled hair made it look as though she had just rolled out of bed, but in truth, she simply hadn't washed it in ages. She had been up all night.
The human world really is endlessly entertaining, she thought, her face pressed so close to a large crystal ball that she looked ready to be sucked inside. Yes, that's it! Just pounce on her. Like a dog in heat.
As she sat there, utterly engrossed in her scrying, the crystal ball suddenly flushed a violent crimson.
"Whoa!"
Blinded by the sudden, searing red light that filled her vision, she clutched her eyes and tumbled backward onto the floor. "What—what is this?!"
Crimson was never a good sign. It was a color she hadn't seen in a very long time. Red... No, it can't be.
With a trembling heart, she peered back into the blood-red crystal. Slowly, the color drained from her face. She was already naturally pale, but now she looked downright ghostly, as if she had joined the dead.
Huh? She stared deeper into the crystal. If this was true, it was a monumental event—one that demanded multiple verifications. For real? The 71st Demon King is dead?
She couldn't tell how or why it had happened. But the undeniable truth remained: the 71st Demon King had perished.
But the 71st Demon King was...
Born sixty-seven years ago from the ruin of the Ice Valley, the 71st Demon King possessed the signature ability Parasite. Because of this, she had been kept a closely guarded secret even among the other Demon Kings. If she could grow her power enough to parasitize a Hero—or better yet, a high-grade Hero—the Church's defenses would be rendered completely useless. Yet, that very same Demon King had just died.
How on earth did this happen? As a shut-in who never left her room, she had no way of knowing. For now, her priority was to alert the others. Placing her hands upon the crystal ball, she channeled her voice through it.
"This is the 16th Demon King, Violet, transmitting. Just now..."
"The 71st Demon King, Weiss, has died."
"Who was it?"
The council chamber was dead silent.
"I asked you who did it!" A man seated at the table slammed his fist down, but the heavy, suffocating atmosphere remained unchanged.
Just then, a woman sitting beside him spoke up. "Do you really think they'd step forward just because you ordered them to? They know they'd be killed on the spot."
"Was it you?!"
"Of course not. I literally just said they'd be killed. Why would I admit to it if it were me?"
She scanned the room as she spoke. Though more had gathered than she expected, they still didn't fill even half of the council chamber. This was the reality of the Demon King Council, convened for the first time in fifty years.
Sigh. Some had been completely out of contact for decades, while others had simply refused to attend. Since every Demon King was fiercely devoted to their own personal agendas, such a poor turnout was inevitable. Still, that didn't mean they could afford to treat this meeting lightly.
"Let us summarize what we have so far," she said, beginning to systematically organize the points raised during the discussion. "First, the reason this meeting was called is the death of the 71st Demon King, Weiss. That has been definitively confirmed, correct, Violet?"
Seated in the furthest corner of the chamber, Violet nodded. Her face was still deathly pale.
"Now, as you all know, the 71st Demon King was a strategic asset we kept strictly classified. I imagine there are some even in this room who were unaware of her existence until now."
A few of the Demon Kings nodded in agreement.
"Furthermore, the 71st Demon King possessed the Parasite trait, making her virtually impossible to kill unless one already knew her true identity. So, what does her death imply?"
The sound of someone swallowing hard echoed in the quiet room.
"Exactly. It means one of us leaked that information."
Naturally, the meeting was steering toward identifying the traitor. But of course, there was no way the culprit would willingly confess.
"Of course, they won't just walk out and present themselves. But from this moment on, we must all be far more cautious." She smiled thinly, her eyes scanning the empty air. "Because from now on, the suspicion among us will only deepen."
"And the Demon Kings who chose not to attend today are no exception. No matter how important their individual goals may be, if their actions bring harm to us as a whole... we cannot simply stand by."
Outside the council chamber, another Demon King was listening to her words.
I had better watch my step, they thought.
Meanwhile, the news eventually reached the very heart of the Holy Church.
Deep within the Church HQ in the Holy City Heilen, in its most secluded depths, lay the chamber of the Cult Leader. Only a select few were ever permitted to cross its threshold. Among them was the Cult Leader's personal informant, tasked with delivering critical intelligence.
"I greet the Cult Leader," the informant murmured, kneeling and bowing his head as he entered the room.
Looking down at him, the Cult Leader spoke. "Raise your head."
The informant complied, looking forward. In the distance, seated upon her throne-like chair, the Cult Leader came into view.
No matter how many times I see her, she is breathtaking...
She wore a thin, pure white fabric that seemed almost translucent against her pale skin, doing little to conceal the elegant curves of her figure. Even with the veil draped over her head obscuring her features, the mere silhouette of her face exuded an undeniable, ethereal beauty.
Ahem... But he had to stop there. Harboring personal feelings for the Cult Leader was strictly forbidden. He was permitted only to admire her beauty from a respectful distance.
"What intelligence do you bring this time?" she asked.
It was time for him to perform his duty.
"This is information obtained from our spy embedded within the Demon King Council. It appears the 71st Demon King has died in the Chaos Zone of the Basil Region."
"The 71st Demon King? Have we discovered anything regarding her identity?"
Information regarding the 71st Demon King had been so heavily guarded among their kind that even the Church had been unable to uncover it. Yet, news of her death had arrived before they could even identify her.
"Yes, we managed to extract the details during this latest council meeting. Her ability was Parasite—the power to usurp a human body."
The Cult Leader's hand trembled slightly at his words. The Parasite ability was an immense existential threat to humanity. To hear that a Demon King wielding such a terrifying power had been eliminated was the best possible news.
"And the Hero who slayed the 71st Demon King?"
"That... we are still in the process of identifying."
"The Demon King is dead, yet there is no record of who defeated her?"
The informant replied with an apologetic grimace. "Well, it does happen on occasion. Some Heroes prefer to hide their achievements to avoid unwanted attention."
"Even so, we must know who killed her."
"Understood. We are currently investigating the Heroes active in the Basil Region. However, because the incident occurred near an incredibly remote village, there is only one Hero on record who visited that area recently."
"Who is it?"
"The Hero, Gwen Lidval."
"Lady Gwen Lidval?"
A girl with crimson hair and a petite frame—yet carrying an oddly mature aura—turned around.
"Yes?"
"You are the Hero, Gwen Lidval, correct?"
She was at the Church's Basil Branch to report the loss of the Holy Relic, Gravitus Replicant. One of the staff members had called out to her.
"That is correct. Is there a problem?"
"Our Branch Head would like to speak with you."
Gwen tilted her head in confusion. The Branch Head?
Securing an audience with a Branch Head was no common occurrence. Especially not the head of an entire region like Basil; such a person held a highly prestigious position within the Church hierarchy.
What could this be about?
Though puzzled, she followed the staff member's guidance to the office. Inside, a middle-aged man sat waiting for her.
"Welcome, Hero Gwen Lidval. I am Gord Hulen, the Branch Head of the Church's Basil Branch."
"Hello."
She took a seat in the chair opposite him. He offered her a cup of tea.
"Thank you."
Accepting the cup, she brought it to her nose. It carried a unique, rich aroma rarely found in other regions.
"Please, have a drink. We can speak comfortably," Gord said.
Following his suggestion, Gwen took a generous sip of the tea.
"Regarding that border village you visited recently..."
Gwen nearly choked, spraying the tea back into her cup at his next words.
"Someone killed the 71st Demon King in that vicinity."
Instantly, only one face flashed through Gwen's mind.
No way... That brat?