“Y-Yes! My Lord Demon King! Do you recognize me…?”
“Of course. There aren’t many who can approach me when I conceal my presence.”
The Demon King drew closer to Ballas, who had been turned into a human.
• Pop, pop, pop.
“It seems you’ve been caught up in my circumstances and ended up becoming human as well.”
“Caught up…? My Lord, do you perhaps have some idea about this situation?”
To Ballas, whose tone of speech had subtly shifted along with their appearance, the Demon King began to explain what had transpired.
“A god worshiped by humans visited me.”
“A god visited you, My Lord…?”
“Indeed.”
Ballas, now kneeling with composure, listened attentively to the Demon King’s explanation.
Yet, disbelief lingered as Ballas rested a hand on their chin.
“Do you know why the god sought you out?”
“It seems the god took a liking to me.”
“Is that so…?”
“The god supported my interactions with humans and transformed me into this form to aid in that endeavor… That much seems clear.”
“Understood. The pieces are coming together now. So, when you faced the light, you lost consciousness, and when you woke up, you were in this state. The light I saw must be the same as the one you encountered.”
“Exactly. That is my assumption as well.”
“If that’s the case, then it makes sense. There’s no other explanation for this sudden transformation.”
Ballas slowly lowered their gaze, inspecting their body.
It was fortunate they were inside the dim dungeon, for in the form of a fully grown human woman, kneeling unclothed, Ballas presented an oddly avant-garde sight.
“To think humans, with such fragile bodies, have managed to oppress us demons for so long.”
“It’s less oppression and more a lack of understanding between us. That aside, you should cover yourself for now.”
“Cover myself…?”
“Yes. You’ll need to blend in among humans, and they find nudity deeply shameful.”
“… I understand. Truth be told… it’s embarrassing for me as well. For some reason, I feel as though I shouldn’t be like this…”
Once, Ballas had been a being admired by demons, wise and dignified, with no need for garments.
Yet, upon becoming human, their body and mind seemed to adapt to their new form.
Ballas had hidden in the darkness, awaiting the Demon King’s return, reluctant to be seen by other demons.
Though they could explain their situation if discovered, and demons would regard a human’s naked body as casually as humans view animals, Ballas still thought, ‘…Even so, I can’t help feeling ashamed.’
“I understand. I will find something for you to wear. Then, we should gather the others.”
“The others…?”
“Yes.”
The Demon King smiled faintly.
“It’s time for everyone to see the sunlight.”
***
Not long after, in the dungeon’s largest cavern, demons who had barely survived on the meager magic within the dungeon gathered in orderly lines.
Ballas, now clad in rough coverings made from animal hides, stood before them and called out loudly.
“The Demon King will arrive soon! Show proper respect!”
“Yes!”
Though the demons initially wondered why Ballas, a high-ranking demon, and their revered Demon King had become human, explanations were unnecessary.
As the pinnacle and origin of their race, the Demon King possessed the ability to imprint their will directly upon all demons.
Soon after—
Pop, pop, pop, pop.
The chirping of small birds filled the dark dungeon.
“My Lord!”
The gathered demons immediately knelt, paying reverence to their sole ruler.
“You kneel before humans for our sake…!”
“My Lord…! We are deeply sorry to have burdened you so heavily…!”
“Though trusting humans entirely may be difficult, if it is your command, we will believe!”
Tears, accompanied by low howls unpleasant to human ears, echoed throughout the cavern.
Adjusting would take time, and perhaps success was not guaranteed.
But the Demon King’s resolve—to try, rather than do nothing—resonated with every demon present.
The Demon King waited patiently until calm returned before speaking.
“As you have heard, I will repeat. The territory marked near the dungeon’s entrance is land guaranteed to us by the humans. Do not establish settlements outside this boundary. Understood?”
“Yes, understood!”
The Demon King tilted their chin slightly upward, extending their small hands forward.
Turning their palms downward, they spoke with regal authority.
“Good. Then, follow me now. I will return the sunlight to you.”
Pop, pop, pop, pop.
With the Demon King’s footsteps leading the way—
An unprecedentedly peaceful march of demons began.
Grim-faced demons walked in unison, matching the tiny footsteps of a small girl.
This scene, indeed, was the embodiment of a new era of peace.
***
As the demons emerged from the dungeon one by one, those who had never before encountered sunlight saw it for the first time.
For most of the demons, except a few who had already interacted with humans as an advance party, this was their first moment in the sun.
“So this… is sunlight.”
“It’s warm…”
Some demons, overwhelmed with emotion, knelt on the ground and began to cry.
The warmth that soaked their skin—this was sunlight.
The very thing they had yearned to take from humans.
“We can’t sit around like this! Let’s start building homes quickly!”
“This area looks like it could be cultivated well enough!”
While they had managed inside the dungeon’s caves, demons, too, needed food and shelter to protect them from the elements.
The demons worked as one, swiftly constructing their village.
Although their agricultural skills should have dulled during their long years of hunting and foraging animals and mushrooms inside the caves—
“There’s no need to hesitate! Just do as the Demon King instructed!”
The memories of the previous Demon King preserved every detail of the demons’ way of life.
With the current Demon King capable of imprinting these “mental images” into all the demons’ minds, they faced no major difficulties.
***
“Ballas, what’s the situation in the other dungeons?”
Standing beside the diminutive Demon King like a secretary, Ballas bent down to meet their gaze.
“Everyone seems to be spending their time building settlements outside.”
“I see. We’ll soon have to face the humans.”
“Isn’t the decree known to the humans as well?”
“Humans, unlike us demons, often have a disconnect between the decisions of their rulers and the actions of their people.”
What worried the Demon King most was the presence of magical energy, magi.
She could already feel it.
Simply by beginning to settle the land here, magi had started to rise from the earth as it had in the dungeon.
The magi, which granted demons their exceptional physical and magical strength, was both a blessing and a curse.
In any case, the dice had been cast.
It was now time to face the humans.
***
“So this is the boundary marker the Demon King mentioned. Beyond this point lies human territory.”
While inspecting the land for farming, one of the demons reached the marked boundary.
Just as they were contemplating how best to demonstrate their lack of hostility should they encounter humans—
Thud, thud.
“Hm? Is someone there?”
“I’ll check it out.”
“Jake, you remember the decree, don’t you? Don’t go too deep, or you’ll encounter demons—”
“I know, boss. Don’t worry.”
At a small inn in the village of Cherry Side, a boy prepared to venture into the forest to gather wood.
Though he had never encountered a demon himself, living near the dungeon meant he had heard countless stories from the adults.
“They say demons look utterly horrifying and just being near them causes headaches and chills.”
“Some even claimed they felt nauseous just being in their presence. It made the boy a bit nervous, but—”
“No, it’s fine. His Majesty and Lady Saint Erin both said everything would be okay.”
The boy, having grown up in a region devastated by a plague, had personally witnessed Saint Erin perform miracles and lead relief efforts in his village.
Furthermore, the Emperor, after reportedly communing with the divine through the Saint, had shown great compassion in her rule.
Although he didn’t fully understand what that meant, the boy had seen his elders stop complaining about taxes and start praising the Emperor.
So surely, demons would be fine too—he thought.
***
“Alright, let’s get started.”
Thud, thud.
Swinging his axe, the boy ventured deeper into the forest, cutting wood when suddenly—
A chilling sensation made him turn around.
Standing there was a figure he had never seen before.
Its back was to him, but he could tell.
Protruding bones ran along its spine, piercing through its flesh.
Its skin was an eerie, unnatural shade of blue.
Just from its back, the boy could tell—
A demon!
The kind of creature adults described as so terrifying it would paralyze anyone with fear!
“A-Aaaahhh!!!”
The boy fell backward, landing on his rear.
He was too frightened to even think of running.
Perhaps his loud cry had drawn its attention, for the demon began to turn its head slowly.
‘No, no…!’
Even with the Saint’s reassurances, this was too much.
From the terrifying shape of its back alone, the demon’s appearance was too overwhelming for the boy to handle.
He shut his eyes tightly, dropping his axe, and shouted.
“Pl-Please spare me! I-I won’t come near here again…!”
The boy, trembling, kept his eyes shut but, fearing he might truly be attacked if he stayed still, summoned the courage to open them slightly and take a peek.
And—
“Please spare me…?”
The demon turned fully, revealing its face at last.
The sight that had struck terror into his heart—the horrifying visage he had been warned about—was…
“…Huh?”
Sure, the face was monstrous in a way, like the stories described.
But for some reason… it also seemed cute.
Realizing it wasn’t as scary as he thought, the boy quickly regained his composure.
The demon extended a hand and said something in an unfamiliar voice.
“…Handshake…?”
“Huh?”
Though hesitant, the boy slowly reached out.
The demon’s hand was cold, damp, and unfamiliar, but—
The boy clasped it.
It was an ordinary handshake.
A human and a demon, touching hands for the first time.
***
Perhaps it was because of that small, significant step forward, but as the boy shook hands with the demon, a warm, gentle voice echoed in his mind.
A voice so divine it seemed to soothe his fears and melt away his apprehension of demons entirely.
It was a gift of the gods—the normalization of magi.