A massive explosion erupted at the north wall of the kingdom, shaking the very foundation of our land. And then, amidst the chaos, that bastard Kaelith appeared—his so-called 'hero party' by his side. Without hesitation, they began slaughtering our people. It was a massacre.
Panic gripped the land like wildfire, and the demon king, understanding the gravity of the situation, immediately directed the four commanders to arrest them. But none of them came back. They fell one by one, their lives snatched by the so-called 'heroes.' The kingdom was in shambles.
With no option left, the Demon King had to intervene personally. The last three commanders also wanted to fight with him but he would not let them. "Someone needs to remain behind," he explained, but the three of them protested. They wanted to fight, to defend our home. After much arguing, the Demon King gave in, but he told me I had to remain behind. Being the youngest commander, I was not considered for this battle.
I stood there, helpless, as the Demon King and the two commanders departed. I thought they would succeed. They must. Then. the message arrived.
The Demon King had formed an alliance with the hero.
Kaelith would go back to the human kingdom and proclaim that the Demon King died. He would forge an excuse, a falsehood, so that no more humans would invade here.
"Why?" haruto whispered, not being able to comprehend. "Why would he make this agreement? He could've simply killed them."
Tai, his fists clenched as he sat on the ground. "Because our Demon King desired peace. He desired an end to this war between demons and humans. He envisioned a world where everyone—regardless of race—could coexist in harmony. No royals, no commoners, no rich, no poor. Only a world where every soul could smile."
haruto listened intently as Tai went on. "He attempted so many times to speak to the human kings, to agree on peace. But they never answered. Finally, he felt… if humans wouldn't make such a world, then he would make one for demons. So when Kaelith attacked, he saw his chance. An opportunity to establish peace."
"And then?" haruto questioned
Tai bent his head. "I don't know. The last message only stated… the Demon King died."
haruto think,
(If the Demon King was that powerful, then how did he die? Who killed him? What happened exactly? I need to know.)
haruto look at Tai. "Then… are you alone now? Are you trying to repair all this by yourself?"
Tai smiled bitterly at me. "Yes. But I'm too weak. I have no experience. I only know how to fight. I don't know how to rebuild a kingdom, how to make his dream come true. I. I can't do anything. I'm a failure."
His tone was laced with frustration, anguish, and powerlessness. Then, suddenly, he fell to his knees. He lowered his head, planting it on the ground in front of haruto.
"You're intelligent and powerful. I don't know where you are from, who you are, or what you desire… but I do know this—you're the only one who can rescue us. Please. become our Demon King."
The moment he uttered those words, the demons beside us also dropped to their knees, heads to the ground.
"Please, be our Demon King!"
Their voices rang out in harmony. A plea. A cry for salvation. haruto just stood there, looking at them.
haruto inhaled deeply and turned, passing Tai.
"Where is the castle?" haruto asked.
Tai gazed up at haruto in shock.
haruto did not look back. "Get up. We don't have much time. We must leave."
One second passed. Then, Tai made fists, nodded, and stood up. "Let's leave."
The news spread like fire. The news reached the corners of the kingdom.
Our new Demon King is here.
Upon arriving at the Demon King's castle, Haruto turned to Tai and commanded in an authoritative tone.
"Within one hour, round up everyone and bring them all to the main hall. There is no time to lose."
Tai nodded with no hesitation whatsoever and promptly called a maid. "Prepare him the best luxury room we possess," he told her.
The maid respectfully bowed and waved for Haruto to come behind her. As she arrived at his assigned room, Haruto closed the door and opened a swirling portal of dark energy. Yui stepped out from inside, her arms crossed in annoyance.
"Why did you open the gate so long ago?!" she grumbled, but the instant her gaze fell upon the magnificent room, her tone completely changed. "Wow! That is lovely! Is this our room? Where are we?"
Without waiting for an answer, she jumped onto the lavish bed, sinking into its softness with a delighted giggle. Haruto watched her, a small smile forming on his lips before he approached and sat beside her.
"We're in the Demon King's castle," he explained everything to yui
Yui blinked in surprise before a mischievous grin spread across her face. "So you're officially a king now, huh?"
Haruto smiled. "What do you mean by 'officially'?" He rested a gentle hand on her head, depositing a little of his mana into her body. A warm light enveloped her for a moment before disappearing.
"There. Now your human aura is totally concealed. No one will ever be able to tell what you actually are."
Yui gazed up at him with wide eyes, moved by his consideration. "Thank you, Haruto."
Haruto got up, his face serious. "I have matters to attend to. You just rest here."
Yui pouted a little but nodded. "Okay, but be careful!"
As Haruto was about to exit, he suddenly halted, as if recalling something. Yui cocked her head. "What is it?"
Silently, Haruto opened another portal. Out came a tiny dragon, flapping its small wings before settling onto the bed. Yui's eyes widened with delight.
"Soooo cute!" she shrieked, at once picking up the dragon and cradling it in her arms. The dragon chirped a tiny, contented sound, snuggling into her. "What's his name? Where did you get him?!"
Haruto smiled. "His name is Dolcetto. And from today, he's our family."
Yui smiled widely, holding Dolcetto tightly. "Dolcetto… What a lovely name!"
Haruto smiled, contented. "Now you two have fun. I need to go."
"Okay! Be careful!" Yui waved, eyes still on Dolcetto.
Haruto went out of the room, face once again solemn. As he entered the hallway, Tai blocked his way.
"Everyone's in the meeting room," Tai had to tell him.
Haruto nodded. "Good. Let's go."