The Maou's Consort? Then I Shall Be the Maou
I clung to Red as she carried me through the endless passage, finally emerging outside. Thankfully, the animal senses she mimicked hadn't failed us. I breathed a sigh of relief seeing our entire group gathered there.
"They're planning to make Seres revive the Maou, then take him as the Maou's consort."
The moment I heard Red's revelation, I thought that bastard had lost his mind. Revive the Maou? Using me? And then what? Make me the Maou's consort? Had I lost my mind? Like hell I'd do that!
"As if I'd ever do that!"
"Exactly. That's why they plan to capture you and force you to listen."
Red shrugged at my flustered outburst.
"Has is actually the Maou's subordinate. She did all this to resurrect her master."
"The Maou's subordinate? That explains the betrayal, I guess... But what's this about being the Maou's consort? That has nothing to do with revival."
"She just said someone as noble as you would suit the Maou."
What bullshit. The front part made sense, but the back was pure idiocy.
...But could even I revive the dead? There was no scene in the original story where Seres brought back the dead, but since he'd never even tried, I couldn't be sure it was impossible.
As I pondered uncertainly, a loud clamor reached my ears. A horde was following us from the passage we'd just escaped.
They'd caught up already?! With the demonkin who'd been tailing us about to arrive any second, I panicked.
"Over a hundred demonkin are coming from that passage soon! Viol, call the imperial army! Everyone else, prepare to fight! We'll buy time until the army gets here!"
With everyone here, we could probably hold off over a hundred demonkin. That was the plan, but for some reason, their reactions were off.
"Why bother?"
Viol didn't budge even after I told her to summon the army.
"No need for that."
"Didn't you hear me? Over a hundred demonkin are coming!"
"I heard you. That's why we don't need to."
Viol replied indifferently.
"With all the power gathered here—including me—what's a mere hundred demonkin?"
"No, I know you're all strong, but still..."
I tried to persuade her, but it was too late. Demonkin were already pouring out of the passage.
"Seres!"
"There he is—grab him!"
A few demonkin spotted me first and charged. Then the head of the one in front exploded.
"Do I really have to dirty my hands with trash like this?"
Viol grimaced after pulverizing one with a single punch. The other hesitant demonkin were sliced apart in an instant—Arios's doing.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not doing this because you said so. It's because Seres is next to you."
Arios grumbled as she shook the blood from her sword. More demonkin rushed out, but the result was the same.
"My lord, are you alright?"
About ten emerged, but the Death Knights dispatched them in seconds.
"Rest assured. Even hordes of these lowly demonkin are no match for us."
"Wait, it's not just low-level ones!"
They seemed too complacent, so I warned them. When we fled, I'd glimpsed a few stronger ones mixed in.
"You think we'll just let you?!"
"Defend!"
As expected, tougher ones appeared, shifting the tide. These smart, powerful demonkin focused on defense, buying time for the rest to climb up.
"As if I'd allow that!"
"You fools think we're amateurs?"
Arios and Niobe moved to block them, but at that moment—
A powerful spell shot toward the two, forcing them to dodge. And the caster was someone I knew all too well.
"Seres-nim, you really have a talent for making trouble."
"Has!"
This traitorous bitch, spouting whatever she pleased!
"I tried to handle this quietly, but you had to make it messy."
"Quietly my ass. If your plan succeeds, the whole world will be noisy anyway, won't it? You were gonna make me revive the Maou?"
"...Red must've told you."
Has glared at Red briefly, then scanned the other women near me. She ground her teeth in fury.
"Traitor Red, Emperor Viol, the Huferion Knights, Hero Arios... You've gathered women who could be treated like queens anywhere. Impressive."
She named each one, but skipped Sibylius—probably because her face wasn't well-known. I shot back.
"You're pretty impressive too, hiding your true colors for over twenty years, you filthy traitor."
"...I've always been on the Maou-nim's side. I was never on your side to begin with, so technically, it's not betrayal."
Has replied calmly, then barked orders at the other demonkin.
"What are you waiting for? Capture Seres-nim!"
"This isn't the plan! We were supposed to isolate him, but they're all together. And what's this about the Maou? Did you trick us?"
"So what? To escape this situation, we need Seres-nim! Grab him and use him as a hostage—whatever it takes!"
The demonkin hadn't known about the Maou revival and wavered, but Has quashed their complaints.
We'd run into the empire's top forces right in the heart of the capital. As Has said, capturing me was their only way out—if they could.
"I'm good."
"Retreat..."
A few tried fleeing back down the passage, but it was futile. I'd blasted them with divine power like bullets, punching holes through them.
"You think I'd let you go quietly?"
I'd considered letting the deserters flee to spark infighting, but I feared repercussions. These guys knew secret passages in the capital, after all.
"...Damn it!"
"Grab that one!"
In the end, the demonkin had no choice but to fight as Has intended. A strong one leading a dozen weaklings charged, but Viol blocked them.
She swung her fist like before, but the strong one raised a barrier. It cracked and nearly shattered, but it held—barely blocking the blow.
"Tch!"
Viol clicked her tongue, unleashing a flurry of punches. Her raw power was terrifying despite zero martial finesse. The demonkin struggled just to defend, unable to approach me.
"I'll handle you lot!"
"Me too!"
When stronger ones teamed up, Niobe and Arios intercepted. ...Or rather, were the demonkin stalling Niobe and Arios to keep them from me?
The rest of the demonkin horde was held by the other Death Knights, but as they focused on defense, we couldn't dispatch them quickly.
I tried to help fight, but—
"Have you lost your mind? Why go to the ones targeting you?"
"We'll protect you—just stay put."
Sibylius and Red blocked me. They weren't fighting, just standing guard around me—like they were watching a fire across the river under the guise of protection.
"If you're not gonna fight, at least let me—"
"Seres!"
As I protested, a familiar voice rang out—one I hadn't heard lately. It was Ares.
She leaped from a temple window and rushed toward me.
"Where the hell have you been?!"
Her face was stunned as she confronted me.
"You vanished from the temple, so I was looking everywhere. Why are you out here? What's all this chaos?!"
"Demonkin! Has is a demonkin—she betrayed me and tried to kidnap me!"
"...What?"
I quickly explained, and Ares went blank.
"No way."
"If it sounds like a lie, look—she's right there!"
"!"
Ares, as skeptical as I was about Has's betrayal, was shocked to see her among the demonkin. Her dazed expression twisted into rage as she charged.
"Has!"
"...Countess!"
Ares approached with her sword wreathed in aura. Has hastily erected a defensive spell.
"A Sword Master now? Impressive!"
"You traitor—did you scheme this from the start, egging me on?!"
From her words, even the bloodline verification at the temple must've been Has's plot. Ares cried out in profound betrayal.
"No, as a demonkin, you were never on our side. You deceived me and Seres from the very first moment!"
"Seems there's a misunderstanding. Seres-nim was always on our side!"
"What?!"
No, no! I had no idea. I frantically shook my head at Ares, denying it. Naturally, she believed me over Has.
"What makes you think my son is on your side?"
"He was born for it!"
Has dodged Ares's swing and blocked with magic while spouting nonsense.
"He's fated to be the Maou-nim's consort!"
"The Maou is dead!"
"No—if Seres-nim takes the Black Pain you have, we can revive him!"
"Even if the Maou revives, would you hand Seres over to filth like that?!"
"Think the other way around. Who but that great king—who once ruled this continent—could possess a noble being like Seres-nim?"
Has spewed her drivel loud enough for all to hear. Our group paused mid-fight, faces blank with disbelief—me included, of course. I roared in fury.
"Bullshit! You think I'd become the Maou's possession? I'd rather fight that bastard to the death, win or lose!"
"Hmm, I think becoming the Maou's possession sounds fine."
"...Sibylius?"
What the hell was that out of nowhere? I stared as Sibylius suddenly said something bizarre.
That was when it happened.
Sibylius, who'd stayed by my side without fighting, stepped forward. Black energy erupted from her body. The inky aura didn't just envelop her—it surged skyward, colossal and overwhelming.
My divine power churned in response. As if on guard. Or in fear.
I wasn't the only one. Everyone fighting froze, staring at Sibylius.
With her mere presence commanding all eyes, Sibylius declared before the stunned crowd.
"Listen well. If Seres is fated to be the Maou's consort, then from this moment—I am the Maou."