8
Chapter 8
"Joker!! Why is the Northern Grand Duke of the Demon Realm in Tartarus!!"
The Hero's shocked scream echoed loudly. Such an enthusiastic welcome; I almost feel like some kind of superstar.
"I'm not deaf. You don't have to yell so loud."
While speaking casually, I checked the Saint's reaction. Fortunately, she didn't seem particularly bothered that she'd discovered I was Joker.
...Fortunately?
Fortunately? Why do I feel relieved? What does it matter if the Saint knows or not? I realized long ago that she isn't the type to kill or torture me.
I didn't have time to tilt my head in confusion over these inexplicable emotions.
Right now, one of the strongest humans on the continent was glaring at me with sheer hostility. She was likely one of the few beings stronger than the Dragon Lord, the former leader of the dragons.
"You...! You wicked demon! What are you planning!"
"What?"
"Don't try to deny it! Didn't you spout the absurdity that you had toyed with the noble Saint!"
"Ah, sounds like a dog is barking somewhere. People like that should be caught and made into dog meat soup."
"Silence! How dare a lowly demon insult me, the Hero Frey de Siegfried! In the name of the House of Siegfried, I will not forgive you!"
"...If you want to live a long life, you should have that mouth sewn shut. Or should I do it for you right now?"
But I'm the one who cut off that Dragon Lord's head.
Beneath one man, above ten thousand.
It was the mantra I repeated when I vowed that no one but the Demon King would stand above me.
Although I ended up in this state after being betrayed by that Demon King... but that's not the point. The point is that I'm not inferior to the Hero in any way.
Throb-.
...Only in my prime, that is.
"Can you take responsibility for those words!"
"A single word from me could have erased an entire kingdom. Do you not know what a declaration of war from Joker means?"
"Do you truly believe those toothpick-like iron bars will protect you? If so, I shall make you realize your grave mistake!"
"A loud-mouthed dog is best cured with a club. Too bad there isn't one here."
Unfortunately, the Hero wasn't wrong about a single thing. Currently, my body was in such a state that I couldn't even move, let alone oppose her.
It was also difficult to expect support from the Saint. No matter how exceptional the Saint's holy power was, even if she burned her entire lifespan, it would be impossible to fully restore a demon like me.
It's not that I jumped in without anticipating this situation. I'm not a demon so lacking in judgment.
It was just that, despite knowing I'd be in great danger, I couldn't stand the thought of the Saint being toyed with.
It felt as if I were the one being insulted... no, as if something more precious than myself was being slandered. Seeing the Saint smile so innocently despite everything made her seem pitiful, which is why I stepped forward.
Clang-!
The infuriated Hero roughly drew her sword. Excalibur, the Holy Sword said to be the only weapon capable of beheading the Demon King, shone brightly within the darkness of Tartarus.
Soon, that blade will likely slice through my neck. Black blood will splatter everywhere, and my miserable breath will be cut short.
"You... Beg for mercy while you still can. Unless you wish to regret everything only after receiving my blade."
"Heh."
Regret?
As if I'd ever do something like that. You pathetic fool.
I have no regrets in my life. None at all. I lived doing everything I wanted to do. Without lingering attachments or regrets.
I'm destined for the Empire's guillotine in three days anyway. What difference does it make if my head is cut off now or then!
"Fuck you, you bastard."
"Gah...! Fine! I'll start by ripping that mouth of yours apart!"
Pat-pat-pat-!
The Hero charges toward me, leading with the Holy Sword Excalibur.
Ah, to meet my end by being stabbed by a holy sword—the ultimate honor for a demon. This might actually be a decent way to go.
I'm at the very end of the line, but I feel relieved. Relieved that I can give a piece of my mind to the bastard who toyed with the Saint before I go.
Swish-!!
The Hero's first swing ruthlessly cut through any obstacle. The adamantium iron bars were sliced apart like bundles of straw.
Clang-clang-clang-!
The neatly sliced bundles of iron bars hit the floor with a loud crash. The Hero's second strike was aimed precisely at my neck.
Even though she was clearly agitated, there was no wavering at the tip of her blade. I suppose a Hero is still a Hero, even if she's a pathetic loser.
The massive greatsword descends toward my head, carrying a murderous aura. I glared back at the Hero, my eyes wide open until the final moment.
"Barrier!"
That was when the Saint's shout rang out.
Hummm-!
I don't know when she got there, but the Saint embraced me. A bright holy power was blooming endlessly around her.
The Hero's sword couldn't reach me—or rather, us. It was blocked by the barrier the Saint had deployed with her holy power.
"Maria! Why are you protecting him!"
"Hero, please lower your sword."
"He's a demon, a demon! He's even the Northern Duke of the Demon Army! Are you actually shielding a demon right now!?"
"You're right, Saint. Why are you stopping the great and noble Hero from judging a foul demon?"
As I said this with a smirk, the Saint answered firmly.
"What difference does that make?"
"What?"
"Ma... Maria! What are you talking about!"
"Stopping an unjust evil and protecting a powerless good; that is all."
"Saint, what if you get stabbed by that unjust Hero and end up like me?"
"Have you forgotten who resisted the Demon Army until the very end in a war where defeat was inevitable?"
Ah, right. This foolish Saint is the kind of person who commits absurdly stupid acts in the name of "convictions" and such.
Damn it, I didn't actually want this result.
The only saving grace is...
Vruuum-!
The golden defensive barrier surrounding the Saint and me, blocking Excalibur. The fact that this is the famous 'Sun's Barrier.'
The strongest barrier on the continent, once capable of stopping hundreds of thousands of the Demon Army.
No matter how powerful the Hero is, she cannot break through this barrier. And if I hold out just a bit longer, Kelth will arrive with the head of the Babel Tower.
Hades, the Administrator of Hell. Even the Hero must step back when he arrives. This is a truth for everyone on earth, except perhaps for the Demon King.
"Maria!"
BOOM-!!!
However.
"You can't do this! This is Joker! The continent's sworn enemy, Joker!"
Crack-!
That only applies if the Saint's body is in good health.
"Urgh...!"
"Saint, you look pale. Why don't you just give up and hand me over?"
"I cannot. I was never taught to turn a blind eye to the pitiful and weak."
"You heard it yourself, Saint. I'm not actually some pitiful weakling. I'm Joker. The Northern Grand Duke of the Demon Army."
"That is who you were in the world. But this is Tartarus. Now, you are simply a prisoner, just like me."
"My, you've got spirit. Why don't you wipe the blood streaming from your mouth first?"
"Ngh...!"
The Saint had gone without proper meals for days, barely slept, and even burned her own lifespan to manifest holy power. They said she had even faced the Demon Army alone for twenty days before entering Tartarus.
She should have collapsed a long time ago. No matter how powerful the Sun's Barrier is, she cannot block the Hero's sword in her current state. It is an immutable truth.
Rumble-!!
The pressure on the Hero's Excalibur increases. Even while safely enclosed in the Sun's Barrier, that force is palpably felt.
"Saint, give up."
"I told you, I cannot."
"Are you saying you're willing to die with him?"
"I will not stand by while goodness suffers. Even if I must die, I will stick to my convictions."
"Tsk, I shouldn't have stepped in if I knew it would be like this."
CRACK-!!!
A long crack formed in the barrier. Like a catastrophic canyon splitting the solar earth.
Soon, a meteor shower falling through that abyss will bury us.
"Maria! This is your last chance! If you don't drop the barrier right now, I'll cut through both you and Joker together!"
The Hero screams desperately. Yet, a despicable smile lingered on the corners of her lips.
Once we're dead, the headlines will probably read something like 'The Saint who colluded with Joker is punished by the Hero.'
...I can't let that happen.
I don't mind dying alone, but the thought of the Saint, who is sacrificing her life for an enemy like me, being stained with such a disgrace...
It irritates me just a little!
"Hey, Hero."
"Joker? Are you trying to leave some final words?"
"No... it's just, can you actually handle this?"
In the end, this is all I can do.
Courage, and the gift of gab.
"What on earth are you talking about!"
The sword energy gathered on the Hero's Excalibur grew even stronger, emitting a scorching heat that looked as if it could melt the very air.
"We're death row prisoners."
"I know that! That's why I'm trying to kill you even faster!"
"No... we're destined for the guillotine in the Empire's Square in three days."
"And what of it!"
"Are you stupid? Who do you think sentenced us to death?"
The answer was something we both knew.
"...."
"No answer, huh? I'll tell you. It was the Demon King. The Demon King."
"Mr. Demon...? What are you doing...?"
"Saint, just stay still for a moment. Hero, think about it. If you kill us now, you'll be defying the 'Demon King's orders.' Touch me if you're sure you can handle the consequences."
I slid my hand under the Saint's arm. My five fingers moved rapidly, tickling her.
"Hiee!"
The Saint writhed with a cute little squeal. I hadn't known she had such a cute side; I see her in a new light now, Saint.
Hummm.
Because of my tickling, the Sun's Barrier the Saint had deployed vanished. She tried to cast it again in a hurry, but I kept moving my hand to distract her.
"Go on, Hero. Strike."
"...!"
Completely defenseless. To top it off, I didn't just open my arms; I leaned my head forward, practically offering my neck.
"You told the Saint, didn't you? How terrifying the Demon King is. Those red horns reaching for the clouds, that black glare covering the sky... think back to that image."
When the barrier was there, she had struck with all her might, but now that it was gone, the Hero didn't swing Excalibur. Or rather, she couldn't.
I whispered, putting weight behind every word. Secretly, sweetly, and insidiously, like a devil offering a contract to a fragile human.
"Urgh...!"
"The Demon King doesn't like it when his orders are disobeyed. You know that all too well, don't you?"
In truth, that was a lie. The Demon King is a pragmatist. He's the type to scream that only the result matters, regardless of the process.
That's why I asked for an answer. I wanted her to agree before she could start overthinking.
"You know, right?"
"I mean, I do, but..."
"Think carefully. There's plenty of time. Oh, Hades, the head of the Babel Tower, will be coming down soon, but our dear Hero has plenty of time, right?"
"...!"
"You should make the most of the life you barely managed to save—by turning your back on all the people of the continent and kneeling before the Demon King."
The Hero's eyes shook like aspen leaves. Her Excalibur trembled along with its master.
Joker, the One-Glass-of-Blood. I didn't earn that nickname for nothing. I got it by bringing enemies to their knees with just this tongue of mine whenever it was a task that didn't require force.
That a single glass of blood is enough to conquer a nation—while others create rivers that overflow with red blood.