Contact (2)
“So, you’re saying you’re my fan?”
Her statement wasn't easy to accept. After all, a Demon King was declaring herself a fan of the Hero who had already slain three of her kind. Though whether she could truly be considered a Demon King was still up for debate.
In any case, we moved to her office to speak in more detail. Even if no one was around, the multipurpose training hall wasn't the right place to continue this conversation.
Perching on the edge of her office desk, she smiled casually.
“Yes. As I looked into your track record, I just ended up becoming one.”
Admittedly, my record of slaying three Demon Kings over the past few years was quite spectacular. But the real question was what that had to do with her becoming my fan.
“But you're a Demon King.”
“Just because we're both Demon Kings doesn't mean I am them, or they are me.”
This made one thing perfectly clear.
This woman was exactly like the Freira in Sung Yu-rang's memories. Even among the highly individualistic Demon Kings, she was exceptionally self-centered—a woman who always insisted on doing things her own way.
Of course...
“Even so, why go as far as becoming a fan?”
There was no reason to go that far. Sure, it was good for me if she held a favorable opinion of me, but I hadn't expected this kind of "favor." I wanted her to explain a bit more.
But the story she brought up sounded completely out of left field.
“Hmm, to tell you the truth, I was a little sad when Libero died. I actually learned swordsmanship from him when I was young.”
That was a strange reason for her to become my fan. No, it would be more natural to expect the exact opposite reaction.
“Then why...”
“Because he didn't look sad at all when he died.”
Libero didn't look sad when he died? I recalled his final moments. He had indeed been smiling.
Why was he smiling?
His end was undoubtedly miserable. He had killed countless Heroes against his own will, only to be slain by the disciple he had raised. Yet, in his final moment, he smiled.
“What do you think is the greatest weakness of the Demon Kings?”
Another random question. In the end, I gave up trying to argue and answered her.
“Their weakness?”
Of course, each Demon King had their own specific weaknesses, but if I had to name a universal one...
“The Heroes, and Holy Relics?”
She shook her head, held up two fists, and bumped them together.
“No, that's just like fighting a fist with another fist.”
Then, she opened one of her fists wide.
“What I'm asking for is a definitive weakness—like paper to their rock.”
A definitive weakness for Demon Kings? If such a thing existed, the subjugation of the Demon Kings would have ended long ago. And even if it did exist, I didn't think I would learn about it so easily.
As my suspicion grew, she spoke.
“The weakness of the Demon Kings is time.”
“What?”
Time? That was the exact opposite of common sense. Time was supposed to be the Demon Kings' greatest weapon.
“Aren't Demon Kings immortal beings unaffected by time?”
She wore a bitter smile.
“Of course not. They just don't die, but in the end, they still exist within the same flow of time as you.”
She spread her arms wide.
“And when you live through such eternity, the most important thing is having a purpose. Time without purpose slowly eats away at a Demon King... until they are completely broken. Libero was one of those Demon Kings.”
His purpose was to reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship. But the moment he became a Demon King, he realized he could never reach that peak. Libero wasn't the only one.
“Most Demon Kings are the same. They all become Demon Kings with some purpose, but those goals are usually meaningless or impossible. So, they all live with false purposes.”
False purposes. They varied wildly.
“For example, Guineus's purpose was to amass wealth. Some guy shut away in a back room lives for voyeurism. And most of the others... aim for the destruction of this world.”
Only then did I realize why she called time their weakness. And why she was bringing this up now.
Freira's eyes sparkled as she spoke.
“To those living with such fake goals, Libero's death was a fresh shock. The older generation aside, the new generation of Demon Kings had never seen one of their kind die after achieving their true purpose.”
“And that's why you became my fan?”
But her definition of a "fan" felt slightly different from mine.
“Yes, so...”
I had a sudden, sinking feeling that something had gone terribly wrong again.
“Kill me too!”
Of course. I should have known.
The Demon King's Castle.
Specifically, a room located in its deepest, most secluded depths.
Inside the dark room, only the faint glow emanating from a crystal ball illuminated a purple-haired girl.
“Hmm...”
The crystal ball was filled with a thick, cloudy haze. This was because the place she was trying to peer into was the Holy City Heilen.
With a few exceptions, the Holy City Heilen was the only place she could absolutely never see.
“Is there really no way to see inside?”
She had already given up long ago after numerous failed attempts. Yet, recently, she felt the urge to try again. Of course, trying again wasn't going to make it any easier.
As she sat there groaning and clutching the crystal ball, the 59th Demon King, Ael, who had been watching from behind, finally spoke up, unable to watch any longer.
“If that were possible, humanity would have gone extinct long ago.”
She was right. If Violet could peer inside Heilen, where the Church HQ was located, they would have already brought the Church to its knees. But reality wasn't so simple.
Even so, the reason she was trying once more was because there was someone she wanted to see.
“How should I put it? I felt it when the older generation of Demon Kings passed, but ever since I saw Libero go, I've had this strange feeling.”
“What does that have to do with the 15th?”
“Just a hunch. I've watched all the Demon Kings ranked ahead of me pass away. I feel like she's going to be next.”
Ael let out a dry laugh.
“You've been staring at that crystal ball all day, and now you think you're a prophet. But there's no way that double-dealing bat is going to die. She has the second-ranked Hero on her side.”
“No one expected the mighty Libero to fall to a disciple who used the exact same swordsmanship, either.”
Everyone had anticipated that Libero wouldn't last much longer. He had endured for a long time without any real purpose. And the end of such Demon Kings was usually the same.
Their minds completely shatter, and then they are subjugated by the Heroes.
Everyone had expected Libero to meet that exact end. In fact, he had been right on the verge of it. But his death defied all expectations. In the end, he met his death with a smile on his face.
“Well, that's true, but...” Ael said, sounding frustrated. “Honestly, I don't even know why we keep such a selfish brat alive in the first place. If you think about it, we have plenty of other spies in the Church besides her.”
“...”
“And besides, if anyone is leaking our information, she's the prime suspect, isn't she? I'm certain she was behind what happened to the 71st Demon King last time.”
That wasn't just Ael's opinion. It was a sentiment shared by most of the other new-generation Demon Kings. From their perspective, there seemed to be no reason to keep the 15th Demon King alive.
Of course, there was a clause stating that Demon Kings must not interfere in each other's affairs. But now that the Demon King Council held greater authority than that clause, if there was still one reason she hadn't faced any real sanctions...
“Still, she's the only Demon King who can enter the Holy City Heilen. That alone makes her valuable enough to keep alive.”
She took her hands off the crystal ball and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with her sleeve. This attempt had ended in failure as well. The barrier surrounding the Holy City Heilen was so powerful that it was a miracle any Demon King could enter it at all.
“Anyway, what were we planning to watch?”
Come to think of it, there was a reason Ael had come to her room. Ael's face finally brightened.
“That house we watched last time! Let's see how they're doing!”
“You mean the house with the twin sisters?”
It was the house they had been watching with the most excitement lately. Violet shifted the location the crystal ball was projecting. Then, looking at the scene that unfolded, she spoke.
“But... is this right?”
“To be honest, even as a Demon King, I have no idea.”