Manadeshi ni Uragirarete Shinda Ossan Yūsha, Shijō Saikyō no Maō toshite Ikikaeru

C3: After the battle

“One hit……? And it’s powerful enough to wipe out a mountain…”

Stella mumbled dumbly next to me. Fortunately, the demons did not seem to have been harmed.

The floor, walls, and ceiling of the area where the heroes stood were all gouged out. If my aim had been off, I would have wiped out the demons as well.

“To shoot the most advanced flame spell, ‘Mega Fire’, without reciting it…that’s just great, Demon Lord.”

“Uh, not exactly.”

I scratched my cheek and corrected Stella’s words.

“That wasn’t ‘Mega Fire’. It’s just ‘Fire’.”

Let’s look at the explanation again.

Fire: The lowest level of fire magic. Less powerful, but faster to activate.

……I knew it said “lowest class”. And yet, this power…The level of 4000+, which is far more than any other demon lord in history, is no mean feat.

“What? That was “Fire”……? You’ve got to be kidding, Demon Lord…….”

Stella couldn’t keep her cool beauty expression.

I didn’t mean to kill the heroes. I was just trying to get rid of them. But…I felt relieved to be able to protect the demons that were being slaughtered in front of me. I did not feel any sympathy for the heroes. Maybe it was because of my own distrust of humanity after being betrayed by Lyle.

“My Lord!”

“You saved us!” The demon soldiers rushed to my side. Humans, beasts, birds, undead, dragons….They all look like monsters but I didn’t think it was scary or creepy, because their faces were so full of gratitude for me. It was as if my heart was being healed.

After being betrayed by Lyle and seeing the heroes’ brutality just now, my heart was torn… Now, it’s strangely warm. It’s nice to be thanked when you help someone.

It brings back the feelings I had when I became a hero. I remembered clearly the feelings that I had almost forgotten. Ironically, by becoming the Demon King I think I may have regained my feelings as a hero.

………

After that, there were no more enemy attacks and I went to my private quarters to rest. As I lay down on the large bed, I immediately felt sleepy.

“A lot has happened in one day…….”

I murmured sullenly.

The final battle against the demon king Yulisha, the betrayal of Lyle, whom I had trusted, dying and being resurrected as the new Demon King and fighting to protect the demon tribe from the heroes.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do now……”

To live as a demon king means to become an enemy of humans. It’s not the path I want to choose, even though I was a hero. However, I couldn’t just abandon the demon tribe like this. There might be other heroes coming to attack them and another massacre like the one before might happen.

“I had no idea that such atrocities were being committed.”

I know that there are more than a few heroes who have personality problems. However, none of the heroes I’ve fought with have behaved in such a manner.

Even though I sought honor and power, I knew the minimum of military etiquette on the battlefield. Maybe it was because I hadn’t had many opportunities to fight with other heroes besides Lyle.

But those guys were different. They tortured their enemies, made them suffer, and enjoyed it. Just remembering it makes me sick to my stomach. I wonder if there are any other heroes out there who would do something like that.

I fell asleep before I knew it while I was thinking…….When I woke up, it was already morning.

“Probably.”

When I looked out the window, it was as dark as night, even though it was supposed to be morning.

“It’s pretty much the same in the morning and at night……”

According to legend, there is no daylight in the demon world. A world shrouded in darkness that is the demon world.

I wondered if it was my ability as a demon king that allowed me to see the scenery so clearly in the dark.

I got off the bed and left the room. For now, I’m going to get some fresh air, just to get a grasp on the current situation.

“You’re a wreck…….”

I looked up at the castle.

The Demon Lord’s castle, shaped like a huge tower, was half collapsed. Lyle and I had come through the underground tunnels, so it was probably the heroes from yesterday who had destroyed the castle. Or was it another group of heroes?

“I’m sure some of the demons were sacrificed.”

……I was surprised at myself for thinking such a thing on reflex. I’m not sure what to make of it.

“I’ll go for a walk.”

My mind was boggled. I wanted to shake it off, so I took a walk around the castle…….And twenty minutes later.

“I am totally lost, man.”

I scratched my head. The outside of the Demon King’s Castle was huge. As I walked, I couldn’t find the original entrance.

“Should I have asked Stella to show me the way?”

“Ah, Demon Lord. Good morning!”

One of the demons came running up to me, with a rather cheerful voice.

She has red hair in a ponytail, and looked very lively. She wears a simple leather armor and her bare arms and thighs are white and dazzling.

“Oh, yesterday…”

He was the captain of the demon soldiers who were fighting against the heroes.

“I’m Lilim Bargamoug, the captain of the castle’s security force.”

Lilim salutes me firmly.

“Oh, it’s the Demon Lord!”

“Good morning, Demon Lord.”

Even the other soldiers came.

“Is everyone okay? Now that we’ve gotten rid of the human army, why don’t you get some rest?”

In fact, some of the soldiers’ wounds were clearly not fully healed. I started to worry.

“Demon Lord, you are even merciful to people like us…….”

“What a generous king.”

“Demon Lord!”

Suddenly, everyone started praising me.

No, no, no, wait a minute. I’m just worried about you guys, that’s all. Isn’t the reaction too exaggerated……?

“Ugh, the new Demon Lord is a good guy…….No more being treated as a pawn…….”

Lilim was in tears. I wonder if the previous demon king treated his soldiers very badly.

“A pawn.”

I muttered with a sigh. I died in a very bad way too, didn’t I? Betrayed and killed by the man who was my beloved disciple, the man I considered my son.

“……hmm?”

At that moment, I felt a burning sensation run down my spine. There is something… It feels like……I brought up the list of available spells.

Homing Ray: A tracking magic bullet, it automatically follows and attacks only those that the caster recognizes as enemies.

I found just the spell I needed.

“Homing Ray.”

I chanted the spell. A white ball of light shot out of my hand, flew behind me, and…it caused a huge explosion. When I looked back, I saw a beast about five meters long lying on the ground. No, it’s not a beast if I look closely. It’s a mechanical quadruped.

“Autonomous Miracle Armament.”

There are several types of Miracle Armaments, “armor type” that are used as weapons, and “wearable type” that fuse with their owners to give them power.

This “autonomous type” is the type that follows its owner’s orders and works on its own. It can’t handle very complicated orders, so it’s probably ordered to kill demons as soon as it finds them.

“Is that the miracle armament that the last hero unleashed……? Or is there someone else?”

Either way, if left unchecked, it might regenerate. I released the Fire just in case, and made it disappear completely.

“Is anyone hurt?”

I looked around.

“No problem!”

“The Demon Lord protected us!”

The soldiers shouted cheerfully. I was relieved.

“This quick response and generous heart that never forgets to care for us……is indeed the Demon Lord!”

“Demon Lord! Demon Lord!”

“Demon Lord! Demon Lord!”

The cry “Demon Lord” immediately erupted.

“Oh…….”

Anyway, every time I do something, I feel like I’m being celebrated.

“There may be other autonomous Miracle Armaments out there, so let’s sweep them up…”