CH 49

—The Demon King, he’s probably headed for the throne room. I don’t know why, but that’s the only direction I can think of.

There’s no time to go through the winding corridors of the royal castle. Shortcut. I let my status speak for itself and kicked my way up the castle’s outer walls. On the way, I found a large hole in the wall, which I thought was made by the Demon King, and entered the corridor inside the castle from there. Then, the guards, who were supposed to be defending the castle, collapsed.

“Damn, that’s a clear signpost!”

Guards were slumped on way to the throne room. I ran down the corridor as fast as I could, as if a sonic boom was about to go off.

And then, at last, the throne room. I kick open the solemn door.

Then, as I thought, the demon king Kaiser was standing there.

“How? You were quicker than I thought.”

“Demon King, you..?”

I was about to say it, but swallowed my words. No, I swallowed.

“What the hell is this..?”

The throne room was filled with swirling air as red as blood. The king collapsed unconscious on his throne, and the other guards collapsed to the ground.

“Well, rest assured, they are all still alive. It’s just that they have been hit by the aftermath of this magic and have fainted.”

“This magic..?”

Looking closely, the red air seemed to be overflowing from the old book that was spread out in the Demon King’s hand. The air then increased its swirling momentum, and then gathered behind the Demon King as if sucked into his back.

“Kukuku..”

The Demon King shifted his body one step to the side. Floating behind him was──.

“Princess Leia!”

The princess was floating as if crucified in mid-air, and all the red air that had filled the throne room had been swallowed by her body.

“It’s already too late, isn’t it?”

“Ahhhh!”

I jumped at the Demon King.

“Hmph, Don’t you know it futile?.”

The Demon King smiles fearlessly. A thrust with my spear, it was easily stopped. ..But what about it?

“Uraaaaah!”

“Nuh?”

I used the hilt of my spear as if it was drifting, and then I used a kick to the middle of the demon king’s stomach, who had lost his balance, and took distance from him.

“[Thunder Rage]”

“Ggh!”

CRICK_CRICK! And with a sound like being burned by an electric shock, the Demon King’s body rolled across the floor. Now. I held the body of the princess that was floating in the air and lowered it to the ground.

“Princess! Princess Leia! Wake up!”

“Uh-uh..”

He then slapped the princess on the cheek roughly, without courtesy or manners, and her eyes opened with a blurry expression.

“Gustav-sama..?”

“Yes, Gustav. Princess, good..”

..Eh? I look at her unintentionally. I look twice. What do you mean? Princess Leia’s eyes are open when she regains consciousness..?

“Princess Leia, your eyes..!”

“Yes, Gustav-sama. I can see your face. Gustav-sama..!

The princess’ hand touches my face. She looks very happy. ..But the color of her eyes is the same crimson as the ones that filled the throne room just a moment ago.

“Kukuku.. I told you. It’s already too late.”

The Demon King stood up behind me, and I did it to his back to protect the Princess.

“Demon King, what in the world did you do to Princess Leia..!”

“Well, you humans don’t know, but Princess Leia there has the unique skill to use the [Ancient Magic] that I have been seeking – the ‘Eye of Truth’. And I have just been given the power to use it.”

“What!”

.. As expected, the blood-red air earlier seemed to be a result of the activation of the [Ancient Magic]. Just one more step and I wouldn’t have made it..!

“Kukuku, take a look behind the princess.”

“Behind the princess..?”

I turn around and look at the princess.

“What..?”

“You see? The watch held by the skeleton-guy sorcerer.”

Just as the Demon King said, a large skeleton wearing a hood like a sorcerer was somehow floating behind the Princess, holding an eerie pillar clock, as if it were a ghost.

“The great ancient magic invoked by me – ‘Open the Gates of the Underworld, Abre el Inferno’. At the moment when the hands of the pillar clock held by the gatekeeper of the Underworld Meikai make a full circle, the gates of the Underworld will be opened above this kingdom and the demons, riddled with grudges and evil thoughts, will flood through.”

“Damn it, I won’t let you..!”

I swing my spear at the skeleton. But the expression on the skull’s face doesn’t change. As expected, the spear slips through its body.

“It’s no use, Gustav. The gatekeeper of the underworld has no substance.”

“.. The demon king! Why.. why are you doing this?

“Why? What do you mean, why?”

“What’s in it for you if you open the gates of the Underworld? !”

In response to my shouting and demanding questions, however, the Demon King curiously put his hand to his chin and said.

“On the contrary, Gustav. Why do you humans laugh?”

“..What?”

“Why do you read stories that are all shaped by imaginary fiction? Why do you grow flowers that you don’t eat? Why do you put a middle ground between intercourse and love?”

“What are you saying..? That’s ..”

“‘Just because I instinctively want to.’ There is no other meaning there. Isn’t that right, Gustav?”

“So you’re saying that you only did it because you wanted to..?”

“You mustn’t mix it up with a lighter motive. It is my instinct as a demon king to fill this world with demons, dominate the world or bring chaos to the world. I was only created to ‘do so’.”

“You’re just going to open the gates of the Underworld for such a.. such a vague reason..? You’ve got to be kidding me!”

In anger, I charge towards the Demon King, but suddenly, however, he disappears. By the time I realised that it was magic, ‘teleportation’, it was too late.

“What? Shit..!”

The Demon King was standing behind Princess Leia, who was slumped to the floor. If he attacked the princess now.. a chill ran down my spine, but.. The Demon King does not show any such signs. Instead, he grins wickedly and opens his mouth in the princess’ ear.

“Princess Leia. I’ll tell you a good thing, the way to stop this magic..”

The moment I heard those words, a chill ran down my spine. Intuitively, the instinct that it would be a bad idea to let her say that spurred me on.

“Stop!”

In response to my sudden words of restraint, however, the Demon King laughed and continued.

“There are two ways to stop that magic. Either I, the performer, must be killed, or you, Princess Leia, the medium of this magic(You), must die.”

“-….”

Princess Leia’s expression drops at once.

“Ha ha ha! What should I do, Princess? It takes 300 seconds for the hands of a pillar clock to complete one rotation. That means five minutes. That leaves us with approximately.. 260 seconds! Use that time to think about it in a meaningful way!”

The Demon King looks at me with a mocking sneer.

“Forgive me, Gustav. It’s my instinct as the Demon King to want to see the look of despair on people’s faces.”

“Y-You bastard! I will kill you!”

263 seconds to go until the gates of the underworld open.

(TL: Damn it, I’m sorry guys, I love this Demon King. Don’t hate me)