Countless demons filled the audience seats, which should have been sparsely occupied under normal circumstances.
The seats had been filled long ago, and those struggling to stand just to witness the trial made the crowd’s number beyond imagination.
Adding to this, the demons who couldn’t enter the courtroom and waited outside for the results made it seem as if nearly all surviving residents of the capital had gathered here.
The reason for this assembly in such a narrow space, despite the ongoing recovery efforts in the destroyed capital, was simple.
Today was the day of the final verdict for the worst hero, Kaiser, who had mercilessly slaughtered an unimaginable number of their kind and injured their sole leader, the Demon King.
***
Trials involving a hero were unprecedented and highly unusual.
Heroes were typically killed on the spot when defeated by the Demon King or before they even reached the capital.
Yet, for reasons unknown, the current Demon King, despite emerging victorious after a fierce battle, did not take Kaiser’s life.
Because of this decision, the fate of the hero Kaiser, who had been left in limbo, had finally led to this trial.
Of course, given the unspeakable atrocities he had committed, the outcome was as good as decided from the start.
The courtroom fell silent as the judges entered to deliver the verdict.
At that moment, all eyes focused on one place, and the massive iron doors began to creak open with an eerie metallic sound.
***
The protagonist of this trial, Kaiser, slowly appeared.
Accompanied by the elite Demon King’s guards, he fully revealed himself before the countless spectators.
The strongest and worst hero… Yet contrary to his terrifying reputation, Kaiser’s appearance was pitiful.
A man of considerable height for a human, with disheveled red hair, stood before them.
Despite his imposing build, his body was covered in deep scars, clad only in tattered rags befitting a slave.
He seemed barely able to stand, as if on the verge of collapse, his left eye covered by a patch.
The image of this man, worn from what must have been intense torture, was far from the monstrous figure of terror etched into everyone’s minds.
Adding to this were the thick chains binding his hands, feet, and entire body.
As he emerged, the tense silence in the crowd was shattered by someone who, overcoming their fear, screamed in hatred.
It was the curse of a demon who had lost precious family members to Kaiser’s indiscriminate slaughter, filled with boundless resentment and hatred.
***
That scream became a catalyst, and one by one, others in the crowd joined in, their voices growing exponentially.
The courtroom was soon filled with a chaotic chorus of enraged spectators.
Some, overcome by the mob mentality, even tried to charge forward to kill him themselves.
The judges, alarmed by the scene, ordered silence, but it was impossible to suppress the frenzied mob.
“Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”
Though the wording varied slightly, the sentiment was the same.
Death.
A horrific death.
The worst imaginable punishment for the hero who had stolen so much from them.
The courtroom was engulfed in a chaos resembling a battlefield, making a proper trial nearly impossible.
‘This might be the first time even demons, known for their composure, harbor this much resentment against one being,’ thought the chief judge as he rubbed his temples amidst the deafening uproar.
Unable to bear it any longer, he summoned the guards, whispering instructions to one of them.
The guard hesitated momentarily, startled by the order, but quickly nodded and descended from the podium.
***
Finally, the guard stood before Kaiser, whose body seemed like that of a living corpse.
Taking a deep breath, the guard reached out and removed the thin blindfold covering Kaiser’s eyes.
It was just the removal of a blindfold.
But the aftermath was beyond imagination.
The moment his orange eyes, resembling a blazing sunset, were revealed, the atmosphere in the room changed completely.
Like burning suns, Kaiser’s eyes reignited the terror that the demons had barely suppressed.
So powerful was the sight that some fainted on the spot, while others collapsed to their knees.
The courtroom, once filled with angry roars, fell into an eerie silence.
***
Seizing the opportunity, the judges quickly began the trial.
The senior officer of the Demon King’s army methodically listed Kaiser’s heinous crimes, recounting every atrocious act he had committed.
The atmosphere turned somber, and sobs echoed from the audience.
Though no one dared to shout, daggers of hatred were visibly directed toward Kaiser.
Kaiser, however, stared ahead with an indifferent gaze, as if uninterested in his fate, further fueling the survivors’ anger.
Finally, as the trial neared its conclusion, the chief judge addressed him.
“Kaiser, the hero, you are granted the opportunity for a final defense.”
.”..If there is anything you wish to say, now is the time.”
The courtroom held its breath, awaiting the response of the worst hero in history.
Few believed he would say anything.
After all, Kaiser had remained silent throughout the entire trial, giving no indication he would speak even when granted the opportunity.
However, to everyone’s surprise, the hero slowly opened his mouth.
Under the weight of countless gazes, he stood with a calm and dignified demeanor that seemed impossible for someone captured in the enemy’s stronghold.
But his composed attitude was in stark contrast to the shocking words that followed.
“…Regretful.”
“What?… What did you say?”
“…Truly regretful. To think so many worms were left hiding. I should have taken my time and killed every last one of them before coming to meet the Demon King.
Looking back now, I was too complacent.
I suppose I was overly excited to meet the oh-so-great Demon King.”
Kaiser’s voice was casual, almost cheerful, as he glanced at the horrified faces of the demons around him.
The radiant smile on his face made it clear that his words were not mere bravado but an expression of genuine regret.
Considering the atrocities he had already committed, it wasn’t difficult to imagine he could have carried out his words had things gone differently.
Still, for him to voice such thoughts in this setting was beyond anyone’s expectations, doubling the shock.
***
“Do you have no intention of expressing remorse or repentance, even now?” the judge asked, his voice shaking with controlled anger.
“Remorse? Repentance?” Kaiser let out a low chuckle that grew into an uncontrollable laugh.
“To think such words would come out of your mouths! Even a passing dog would laugh at this.”
Kaiser’s mocking laughter echoed in the courtroom, and after a long moment, his eyes glinted with a dangerous madness.
Looking directly at the crowd, he spoke, his voice dripping with disdain.
“Don’t act so righteous. You’ve been killing to your heart’s content all this time too, haven’t you? And yet, what I’ve done is suddenly a crime? How ridiculous. This world operates on the law of the jungle. The weak are trampled upon by the strong without even understanding why. And according to that law, I was defeated by someone stronger than me. That’s all there is to it.”
Kaiser’s gaze turned inward as he recalled the grueling battle from a few days prior.
The Demon King—a woman of unparalleled beauty, far removed from the image of the most powerful ruler in history.
He had come within a hair’s breadth of victory in their fierce fight, only to lose in the end.
Truthfully… he wanted to face her again with all his strength.
Even though he knew it was impossible, the thought lingered as the judge finally announced the verdict.
***
The punishment was, unsurprisingly, the most severe of all—execution that would destroy not just his body but his very soul.
Kaiser had expected this outcome ever since his defeat and accepted it without protest.
As he was being escorted to the execution site, however, something strange began to happen.
He raised an eyebrow in suspicion.
The guard accompanying him received a message and abruptly changed their destination.
He was taken to a completely different prison and left there, with the guard disappearing soon after.
The final piece of the puzzle was the sudden appearance of a suspicious demon woman with long navy-blue hair, her presence radiating unease.
“Nice to meet you, Kaiser the Hero. This is our first time meeting, isn’t it?”
“Ha, don’t glare at me like that. If it weren’t for me, you’d have been erased from existence by now,” she said with a sly smile, her unsettling laugh only adding to the tension.
Kaiser observed her with curiosity, his eyes narrowing.
Up until now, every demon he had encountered had either been terrified of him or filled with hatred.
Only two had broken that pattern—the Demon King and this woman now standing before him.
‘…I don’t know what she’s planning, but she’s a bold one. Helping me will only bring her trouble in the end.’
“Helping you? Oh no, don’t misunderstand me,” she said, waving her hand dismissively.
“My interest lies solely in your brilliant soul. Unraveling the secrets of a soul that transcends human limits is the goal of my research, and you’re the perfect specimen. Besides, whether or not your execution is officially carried out doesn’t matter. No one will ever know you’re still alive.”
Kaiser instinctively felt something was amiss, but before he could react, she swiftly injected him with an unknown substance.
Had he been unrestrained, he could have easily avoided it.
But bound as he was, resistance was impossible.
As his consciousness began to fade, Kaiser fought to stay awake with all his remaining strength.
He managed to catch her parting words, a soft whisper laced with amusement.
“It was a short meeting, but a pleasure nonetheless. Now, I hope you have eternal sweet dreams.”