Chapter 36: Mother and Daughter – 2

Hero Irushil hesitated.

It was true—she harbored resentment toward the Empire.

A nation that had persecuted Mari from the shadows.

A nation that had even tried to kill her.

The very same Empire that had repaid Mari’s countless sacrifices.

Sacrifices that could be called acts of grace—with nothing but betrayal.

Even now, just thinking about it made Irushil grit her teeth in anger.

However.

That didn’t mean she could simply side with the demons.

Nor did it mean she could accept the idea that all humans deserved to die.

She was, at her core, human.

Yes, there were vile men like the Emperor among them.

But there were also many who were good and pure.

Her companions in the Hero’s party, for example.

To her, they were just as precious as her mentor.

They were her trusted friends, her family.

After a long silence, Irushil finally spoke.

“…I understand your feelings, Master. But… I am a Hero. No matter what, I cannot betray the demons… and I cannot betray humanity.”

Her voice was heavy with conviction.

At that moment—

Mari’s expression turned cold.

“…So this is your decision? Even after your mother has asked this of you?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Irushil lowered her head in apology.

She had made her stance clear.

And now, she quietly awaited her fate.

No matter how much she still saw Mari as her mother, the truth was undeniable.

Her mentor was now the Demon King.

It was clear that Mari had tried to spare her.

Had given her this chance.

But Irushil had refused it.

And so, there was only one outcome left.

Steeling herself, she prepared to face her death.

Then.

“…A disappointing choice.”

Mari’s voice rang out, filled with something unreadable.

“…I had hoped you would be willing to bear a little disgrace, if it meant saving more people.”

“…What?”

Irushil’s eyes widened.

She had not expected those words from the Demon King.

Mari gazed at Irushil with an icy expression, her voice laced with a chilling intent to kill.

“The Hero’s party has been defeated. You, the Hero, have been captured. On top of that, the Empire’s elite force—ten thousand of their best soldiers—was wiped out without even a proper chance to retreat. In this situation, if we demons launch a full-scale attack against humanity, they stand no chance of winning.”

“Th-That… Ngh…! P-Please, don’t try to threaten me. Even if you are my mother—”

“You think this is just a threat?”

Mari’s voice was cold—unshakably so.

Irushil found herself at a loss for words.

Because…

Mari was right.

It was the inevitable truth.

For so long, the Free Races Alliance and the Demon Army had maintained a fragile balance of power.

But now.

With Irushil, the Goddess’s chosen warrior and humanity’s strongest force, gone.

That balance would collapse entirely, tipping overwhelmingly in the demons’ favor.

And after the Empire’s consecutive defeats, with even their main forces annihilated…

Even if Mari did nothing, the other Demon Lords—especially the Great Demon King Kaya—would never let this opportunity slip away.

“If that happens, the ones who die won’t just be the Emperor and his nobles,”

Mari continued.

“The demons will undoubtedly slaughter countless innocent citizens of the Empire. They have no reason to hesitate. With no one left to stop them, nothing will hold them back.”

“Ah… No…! I—I can’t let that happen…!”

A horrifying realization struck Irushil’s mind.

Mari’s words…

There was a high chance they were true.

But—why was she telling her this?

Was this really just a threat?

No.

Slowly, Irushil began to see the truth behind Mari’s words.

“Mother… Don’t tell me…”

Irushil swallowed hard.

“You’re saying… You want me to help stop the demons from crossing the line? To act as some kind of restraint…?”

“…With the power I have now, I cannot prevent the slaughter, even if I want to,” Mari admitted.

“No matter how strong I am, I’m still just a fledgling Demon King—once a human, no less. Many still doubt me. My authority is weak, my influence limited.

“But if the strongest warrior of humanity—the Hero—were to stand beside me…”

She met Irushil’s eyes.

“I would have the power to change things.”

“…Ugh.”

A war whose outcome was already decided.

In this situation, what choice did she have left?

Would she choose to die for honor, even if it meant nothing?

Or.

Would she live and bear the disgrace of siding with the demons, if it meant saving even one more person?

A decision too agonizing to bear.

But in the end.

Irushil had no real choice at all.

‘It’s almost amusing… but yes, she really is my mother…’

This was exactly the same as back when Mari was the Great Witch.

She always presented Irushil with a choice.

Even when the answer had already been decided.

It was overwhelming, even cruel in its own way.

But at the same time, it was a form of kindness.

Because no matter the situation, Mari always let her choose.

Even if those choices weren’t always the right ones.

It was through them that Irushil had learned the ways of the world.

That people had the freedom to decide their own future.

But also the duty to bear responsibility for the choices they made.

Feeling that same familiar yet bitter sensation settling in her heart.

Irushil finally gave her answer in a strained voice.

“…I understand, Mother…”

“…Then it’s decided.”

Mari turned to face the others.

“From this moment forward, Hero Irushil will stand with us.”

A suffocating silence filled the air.

And then.

“…I… will do my best…”

A response barely above a whisper.

“Hah…”

The demons’ reactions were beyond mere scorn or suspicion.

They were stunned into pure disbelief.

Watching them, Mari let out a small, bitter smile.

‘The weight of the Hero’s name is simply too great…’

Mari had been an exceptionally powerful witch.

But even so, the Empire had others who could take her place.

However.

A Hero’s surrender was on an entirely different scale.

Irushil was the undisputed peak of martial prowess.

A being whom only the Great Demon King himself was said to rival.

And now.

That very Hero had knelt before the demons.

The greatest threat to the Demon Race had just vanished in an instant.

It was only natural that the demons would be left in utter shock.

‘Even the Hero has surrendered…’

‘Does this mean… the end of this long war is finally within reach?’

‘This is truly a heaven-sent opportunity. Now, at last, we can wipe out those filthy humans…’

The Demon Generals’ reactions were filled with shock, anticipation, and renewed determination for battle.

However.

Unlike them, my gaze was not on the Hero who had drawn everyone’s attention.

Instead, I was looking at Mari-sensei.

She had met my expectations—far beyond what I had dared to hope.

To be honest, when I first requested that the Hero be spared, I had only half-believed it was possible.

Of all people, how could a Hero possibly side with the demons?

I had thought it was far more likely she would rather die than betray humanity.

If it had been anyone other than Mari-sensei, I wouldn’t have even bothered making the request.

I would’ve simply told them to stop spouting nonsense and execute her on the spot.

And yet.

She had succeeded.

Once again, I found myself in awe of her abilities.

At the same time, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of expectation.

The war that had dragged on for so long.

Was finally nearing its end.

A faint smile began to creep onto my lips.

“You did well.”

“It was nothing. Compared to what you suffered, Mother, this is…”

Mari and Irushil walked side by side down the corridor, speaking in hushed tones.

Even though Irushil had just declared what many would call a humiliating surrender, she felt surprisingly… unburdened.

They say the fear lies in falling—not in having already hit the ground.

Betraying humanity had been an enormous decision, yet now that it was made, she found it wasn’t as unbearable as she had expected.

Of course, this was partly due to how she had rationalized it.

That this was merely a means to an end, a way to bring down the wretched Empire and save lives.

But above all else.

There was one irrefutable reason she could endure it.

The most precious person in her life…

Mari—her mother—was alive.

Perhaps, even more than that…

She felt relief.

Because despite having become the Demon King, Mari had not entirely discarded her humanity.

That, more than anything, reassured her.

“Then, prepare yourself,” Mari said.

“Once our forces have finished regrouping, we march on the Leaf Empire.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Hero Irushil responded with a noticeably lighter tone.

At that moment.

“Oh my…!”

A figure suddenly stepped into their path.

“Pardon my interruption, oh great Hero. And of course, Your Majesty, the Demon King.”

A smooth, unbothered voice.

The moment Mari laid eyes on the person before them, her expression turned cold.

She had been unsettling from the very first meeting, and even now, Mari could not say she felt comfortable around her.

“…What do you want, Flantsu?” Mari asked, her voice sharp.

“Fufu~, no need to be so wary,” Flantsu chuckled.

“No matter what anyone says, we’re on the same side now, aren’t we? As long as you don’t cross the line, I see no reason for us to be at odds.”

Mari subtly gestured for Irushil to lower her sword.

Seeing this, Flantsu’s smirk deepened.

“I’ve come today to offer a very interesting deal… specifically to you, Demon King.”

“…A deal?”

Mari narrowed her eyes, her wariness only growing.

Even if Flantsu wasn’t openly hostile, she was always suspicious.

But then.

“Yes, that’s right. And this…”

Flantsu stepped aside, revealing what she had brought.

Mari’s eyes widened.

“…Judah?”