The enemy camp was silent.
The demons stationed in all directions could attack us at any moment, leaving us no way to escape.
The only reason they hadn’t attacked yet was that they already considered us as good as dead.
Me, Kalian, Evelyn, Elia, and Lumia.
Just the five of us stood here, facing the Demon King and thousands of demons.
“Been doing well?”
I waved toward Victoria.
Unlike when she was in Arcana, she was now fully armed, maintaining the dignity of a Demon King.
“Seeing you like this… what should I say? It really doesn’t suit you. Isn’t it suffocating to keep up that stiff posture?”
“It’s been a while. Can’t we at least exchange greetings? I’m sure there are a lot of things you want to say.”
Victoria didn’t respond.
Instead, the man beside her, Alcatraz, spoke.
“Humans, there is an order to things. If you have something to say to Her Majesty, please go through me.”
Even on the battlefield, he was wearing a suit, sporting that same unsettling smile as he stepped in front of Victoria.
That bastard… I was wondering where he was.
Of course, he was right by Victoria’s side.
Was he planning on interfering again?
“We want to talk to Victoria, not you.”
“Talk? After slaughtering our kind to get here, what kind of conversation could you possibly want? Well… go ahead. If it’s your final words, I’ll listen.”
“I’d rather speak directly to Victoria. She’s right in front of us—why would we need to go through you?”
“Hahaha. I am both the commander of the army and Her Majesty’s loyal servant. This is my role.”
He really didn’t want us speaking directly to Victoria.
Was he afraid she might be persuaded?
Or… did he simply enjoy seeing us struggle?
I called out loudly,
“Victoria, we understand why you did what you did. Hiding from us, deceiving us, knocking Kalian down and running away—all of it.”
“We don’t blame you. Even if you’re a demon, even if you’re the Demon King—we still consider you our friend. There’s no need for you to fight this battle to the death.”
Victoria must have been confused.
She grew up believing humans were dangerous, but after spending time with us, she must have realized that wasn’t the case.
Yet, the demons around her must have kept telling her she was wrong.
And now, war had broken out, and her people were dying.
The conflict she must be feeling right now had to be immense.
That’s why I needed to say something to put her mind at ease.
“Hahaha… I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Alcatraz interrupted again.
“You speak as if Her Majesty made a mistake, but the real problem is you. You deceived her. You’re the ones who confused her.”
“What exactly did we deceive her about?”
“Everything. Pretending to be friends, acting kind, feigning love… Was it all just a trick to drive Her Majesty and our people to ruin?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. If anyone is deceiving her, it’s you. Always pretending to act in Victoria’s best interests, but in reality, you—”
“Ah, I can’t listen to this any longer. Tolerating the foul lies of humans is simply unbearable.”
He cut me off and signaled to the demons.
The Demon King’s army shifted into battle formation.
There was no point in continuing this conversation.
As long as Alcatraz was in the way, a proper dialogue was impossible.
Now, all that was left was being the target of a concentrated attack.
This was far beyond what I had expected.
At the very least, Victoria needed to order a ceasefire—but she did nothing.
“Victoria.”
As I frantically searched for a way out, Kalian called out.
Gazing intently at Victoria, he stepped forward ahead of me.
“I… resented you. Being deceived by you hurt, but the fact that you were the Demon King who had harmed so many people was an even bigger shock.
Ever since I found out your true identity, my chest has been tight, my heart felt like it was going to burst—I couldn’t sleep peacefully for a single night.”
“But even through all that pain, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. And at the same time, I worried about you. Because I knew you must have been suffering just as much as I was. Isn’t that right?”
We knew about the relationship between Kalian and Victoria.
So, we accepted his words without much thought. But the demons were different.
They didn’t openly express their doubts, but their gazes shifted subtly as they glanced between Victoria and Kalian.
“Victoria, I’m not the representative of humanity. So I have no right to forgive you for everything you’ve done.
But still, I need to say this. I… like you.”
“Even if you’re a demon, even if you’re the Demon King… I still like you.
So, I don’t want to fight you anymore.”
Kalian confessed his feelings.
Victoria, who had been listening, gave a sorrowful smile.
But that fragile, unstable smile was soon overshadowed by a bitter smirk.
Victoria spoke coldly.
“Ridiculous. I had expected you to grow a little more sensible over time, but you’re still holding onto such foolish thoughts.”
“Victoria…”
“I told you before, didn’t I? Everything was nothing more than entertainment for me.
And yet, you’re still spouting such delusional nonsense?”
“Stop it. That’s not how you really feel.”
“You’re the one who should stop. The only reason I ever played along with your deception was because I found it amusing.
I have no intention of indulging your childish games any longer.”
“I know the truth. You’re capable of being kind—not just to demons, but to humans as well.
So you don’t have to pretend anymore.”
“You live in a fantasy, foolish human.”
She was putting on an act.
Aware of the demons’ watchful eyes, she deliberately played the role of the Demon King for all to see.
But beneath her cold sneer, I could feel her pain.
BOOM! BOOM!
“Wade, sir! We’ll assist you!”
As if the situation wasn’t already bad enough, the noble families had arrived.
They cut through the demons from behind, further reducing the time we had to talk.
The demons who had surrounded us tensed up again, turning to fight against the incoming nobles.
As the battle escalated, Victoria put on her helmet and spoke.
“Fool. I had hoped you would at least provide me with some entertainment, but you turned out to be nothing more than a disappointment.
Stand there and watch as your fellow humans are slaughtered.”
“Stop, Victoria! You don’t want to kill anyone either!”
“I will feast on your flesh and blood. I have done so until now, and I will continue to do so forever.
If you want to stop me, then draw your sword. Come and take my head.”
I had no idea what expression she was making under that helmet,
but Victoria stopped talking and charged at the Imperial army.
Each time she swung her sword, limbs flew, bodies were cleaved in two.
With every step she took, human lives were extinguished, and the air was filled with screams and sprays of blood.
People died in helpless resistance.
Kalian could do nothing.
He couldn’t stop Victoria.
He couldn’t cut down the demons.
I turned to Lucrezia, who had been standing beside me all this time, and asked—
“What do you think? Seeing it for yourself?”
“Even after watching all this, do you still think we’re deceiving your Demon King?
Does Victoria really look like someone who has fallen for a trick?”
“That…”
Lucrezia lowered her head.
She wasn’t a fool—she must have realized it by now.
That Kalian’s feelings were genuine, and that Victoria, too, held something precious for Kalian in her heart.
I let out a smirk.
“It looks like she’s trying her best to play the part of the Demon King…
But you’ve been by her side for a long time, haven’t you?
You should be able to tell—that her act is unconvincing.”
“The Demon King always hated lying… and she was never good at it.”
“Tell me what you think. What will you do?
Do you want to watch Victoria fight a battle she doesn’t even want, her heart tearing apart?
Or do you want to find another way?”
“I can’t decide… This concerns the survival of our entire demon race.
If the Demon King were to side with the humans now, everything would be over…”
“That’s not necessarily true.
People just don’t want to look for a way, but there’s always a solution.”
Slash!
I cut through Lucrezia’s restraints.
Now freed, she looked at me in disbelief.
“Why…? Weren’t you planning to use me as a hostage?
At the very least, you could’ve used me for a prisoner exchange.”
“I always intended to let you go.
I just didn’t expect it to happen quite like this.”
“What are you scheming?”
“No schemes.
But there is something I need you to do.
You’ve eaten your fill, I’ve even given you your freedom—so consider it your part of the deal, alright?”
“…What do you want me to do?”
Lucrezia asked, surprisingly compliant.
I told her the task I had decided on from the moment I captured her.
“Convince the Four Heavenly Kings to put an end to this war.
Tell them—humans aren’t as evil as Victoria once believed.
That there’s room for dialogue.”
“That’s impossible. Even I don’t fully trust you humans, so they definitely won’t.
They’ll probably think my mind has been tampered with.”
“Then at least plant a seed of doubt.
Make them hesitate, even just a little, so that when the crucial moment comes,
they can let go of their prejudices and make the right decision.
That much is possible, isn’t it?”
“A crucial moment…? What do you mean—”
“And make sure Kalian and Victoria get another chance to meet and talk properly.
You understand what I’m saying, don’t you?”
Lucrezia hesitated, but eventually gave a reluctant nod.
I still believed there was a chance to bring Victoria back.
Right now, with the battle raging, it seemed impossible.
But after some time had passed, we might be able to meet again and change the course of events.
“Oh, one last thing.”
I spoke just as she was about to leave.
“Be careful of Alcatraz.
When you return, keep an eye on him at all times.”
“That again?”
“The goal of you Four Heavenly Kings is not to win this war.
It’s to protect Victoria from him.
Never forget that.”
“Tsk.”
Without giving a proper response, she just clicked her tongue and walked away.