0
Chapter 0
Twilight is slowly fading.
Normally, I would've spent this time relaxing with a mojito and enjoying the view, but my current circumstances leave no room for such leisure.
"Convicted Traitor Oscar Lucifer and—!"
The Demon Army Legion Commander bellows solemnly, his voice booming across the square.
That brat... four months ago, he didn't even dare meet my eyes. He's certainly grown bold.
"Execute the death penalty for Saint Maria—!"
Here in the Continental Plaza, a blessed land where life flourishes.
I climbed onto the guillotine alongside the Saint of the Holy Church.
Eternal death draws near. One glance upward reveals the sharp blade; once it falls, my head will be severed instantly.
A smirk escaped. To rise as the Second-in-Command of the Demon Army only to be executed by the Demon King... it's a laughably pathetic sight.
I was a key figure in the long war between the Demon Realm and the Continent. Born a demon, my place was naturally with the Demon Army.
To be honest, I just loved being evil. The allure of a boundlessly free villain captivated me.
I found joy in staining the world with madness and chaos.
That's why I rampaged across the entire continent, using the screams of humans as my work song.
I plunged the Continental Army into turmoil and tore the Empire apart. I beheaded the Dragon Lord, burned the elves' World Tree, and slaughtered arrogant humans.
In recognition of my deeds, I was granted the title of Northern Grand Duke of the Demon Realm and the nickname Joker. At the time, I thought the rest of my life would be a smooth ride....
It wasn't that the Demon Army lost. Once the Emperor was assassinated, the Continental Alliance Army crumbled. The problem was the Demon King.
Intoxicated by power, the Demon King sought to eliminate me to keep it all for himself. But since I had become a central pillar of the army, he lacked a legitimate excuse and framed me for treason.
I went toe-to-toe with him after that... but as my current state suggests, I lost. We were evenly matched for about thirty minutes, but after an hour, I was completely overwhelmed. The bastard is damn strong; he's not called the strongest Demon King in history for nothing.
After being imprisoned, I was thrown into the World's Worst Great Prison, specifically in the lowest level where I was the only inmate. While serving a stifling sentence for 104 days... a newcomer arrived.
Saint Maria. The most sacred and noble human on the continent, currently lying right beside me.
We are polar opposites. While I was a pillar of the Demon Army, she was the hope of the Continental Army—though she ended up as a death row prisoner when the Demon Army won.
"I was afraid I would have to walk the long, dark road to the underworld alone, but I'm glad you are here."
"Only the Saint could make getting beheaded at the same time sound so grandiose."
"You flatter me far too much."
I met the Saint a week ago. In other words, we've only spent a week together. The fact that we became close enough to exchange mindless jokes in just seven days must be due to her indiscriminate love.
When we first met, the Saint vowed that she would embrace and love even a demon like me. I didn't believe her.
I thought her words were nothing but an empty facade. Moreover, I was certain that if I acted slightly prickly, she would quickly wear herself out and give up.
But I was wrong. The Saint, who arrived a week before the execution, spent those seven days showing me her convictions and love without reservation, and I drank in every drop of that affection. That is why two people from such opposing worlds could become close.
"Oh, it's falling."
Now that I'm facing death, it doesn't even matter.
Clank-!
The guillotine's blade drops sharply toward the Saint's neck and mine. Before the eyes of the entire Continental population and the Demon Army. Once that closes, my miserable life will end.
Swoosh-!
The razor-sharp blade met my neck. A piercing chill ran down my spine.
So, this is how I die.
For a demon who lived a fairly thrilling life.
For a demon born as the third son of the Northern Duke Family, only to end it all on a guillotine in the square.
Finally, the curtain falls.
*****
"...Hmm?"
It should have ended right there.
"Oscar, are you feeling unwell? You're drenched in sweat."
A mysterious eraser has wiped away the life I once lived.
As if telling me to start anew, without leaving behind any clumsy regrets or stains.