Manadeshi ni Uragirarete Shinda Ossan Yūsha, Shijō Saikyō no Maō toshite Ikikaeru

C6: The boundary between man and demon

I was staring at a reddish-black crack in the sky.

“How do I repair the barrier?”

I called up a list of spells. As I had planned, a spell appropriate for this situation appeared.

Rune Repair: Repairs material composed of magical power.

“From the name, I’m guessing it’s a variation of the repair spell I used on the Demon King Castle.”

I held my right hand up to the sky.

“Rune Repair.”

With the incantation, the reddish-black crack quickly faded and then disappeared completely.

“Are the holes in the barrier sealed?”

“I’m checking it now.”

A third eye appeared on Stella’s forehead.

“No problem, sir. The damage to the wards has been completely repaired.”

“Then this should last for a while. At least three months.”

“Three months…….?”

“When the hundred heroes invaded the demon world, a wielder of a Miracle Armament broke through the barrier. The next time he can use his power is in about three months.”

I explained to Stella, who was wondering what was going on.

“After three months, the heroes will invade again.”

“……So many demons will be caught up in the battle again?”

“This invasion is just the beginning. The next step is to make more holes in the barrier and send in a large army of heroes.”

Yes, not just a hundred heroes, but a thousand, or even ten thousand – heroes from all over the world. If that many troops come, the demon world will be destroyed.

The reason why the battle between humans and demons has been so close until now is because the demons had an absolute safe zone called the demon world. Demons can come to the human world freely, but humans can’t enter the demon world. The battle was a one-sided invasion on the part of the demon tribe until a few days ago.

The human side devised a way to break the barrier of the demon world and succeeded in sending in the heroes. They probably didn’t anticipate that they would be invaded, so the demon tribe’s response was late. That’s why the heroes, including me, were victorious and the demon army was badly damaged. Moreover, this time was only a test, next time, a more powerful army would be coming.

“We’ll have to set up a defense system by then.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll take care of the worn-out troops and armaments.”

“Please.”

As I said this, I let out a small sigh under my mask.

I’m going to intercept the heroes who are going to attack again in three months. I don’t feel too uncomfortable psychologically as I ponder my position as the Demon Lord. Is my mind now that of a human? Or is it already that of a demon…? I’ll worry about that later.

“Let’s go to the next battlefield.”

There are four more invasion routes for the heroes.

“The next one is in the eastern region, where the wind is strong. Hold on tight so you don’t fall off.”

“Yeah.”

I put my arm around Stella’s waist.

……When I think about it again, I’m a little embarrassed about this outfit. I’m not as embarrassed as a teenager, though.

“I……being hugged by the Demon Lord……”

I heard Stella’s muffled voice.

“Hmm, what’s wrong Stella?”

“I’m sorry, it’s the first time I’ve ever been so close to a……man…….”

Stella’s voice was raspy.

“Is that so…..?”

“I’m really sorry to……make such a remark, but I don’t have the right to be your vassal.”

“No, you don’t have to be so formal. You’re not a retainer, but more like a partner to me.”

My partner…. As soon as I said those words, I felt a pang in my chest. It reminded me of Lyle, my former partner and beloved disciple.

“That’s too kind of you to say, my Lord.”

Stella’s voice trembled.

“Look, you’re all formal again.”

I chuckled. Whenever I exchange words with Stella, the pain in my chest from earlier fades away. It seemed to soothe me.

“Okay, for starters, you can call me Freed.”

“What?”

I suggested it without a second thought to loosen up Stella’s stiffness, but she was strangely upset.

“Oh, I guess you can’t do it in front of everyone. How about we just do it when we’re alone?”

“…… Do you want me to call you by your name?”

“As long as Stella’s okay with it.”

“So……”

Stella turns and stares at me.

“Freed, my dear……”

For some reason, her face was flushed.

The eastern part of the demon world is a grassland area. However, it is not an idyllic landscape like the human world. Twisted and bizarre plants grew from everywhere, giving the place an uncanny feeling.

A few dozen meters in front of me, a huge man was standing. Around him, there were countless corpses. They were the corpses of the demon race.

“That guy…”

I scrunched up my expression under my mask.

“Master Freed?”

“Stay back, Stella.”

I took a step forward. The wind flapped the hem of my robe.

“I know that guy.”

I had only seen his face before, but I knew his name well.

“Claudio the Brave, also known as ‘Claudio the Bloody’. The number of demons he has defeated is in the top five in the history of heroes.”

He’s a fierce warrior.

“He’s a little different from what I’ve heard about him.”

Claudio looked at me and the corner of his mouth lifted in a grin. His gaze is on my hand. To be precise, it’s on the crest of the Demon King floating on the back of my hand.

“I knew those guys wouldn’t be able to hold their own.”

Claudio laughed, baring his fang-like canine teeth. He stepped on the skull at his feet, crushing it.

I clenched my fists at his insulting act of crushing the dead.

“Demon Lord, you seem to be a worthy opponent for me. I would like to fight you as a warrior.”

“If you are a……warrior, why do you have no respect for those you have fought?”

“Respect? For demons? That’s ridiculous.”

Claudio plunged his sword into the nearest demon – the one that was still barely breathing.

“I don’t have to respect the little buggers.”

“You……!”

“Now that guy was mortally wounded anyway. I was just making him comfortable, okay?”

“You were just messing with him.”

“The Demon Lord is grieving over the death of one of his men? Hmm, but I’ve lost many of my own.”

Claudio holds a large sword that exceeds his height.

“Many heroes died to get us this far.”

There was a……sound like a winged insect shaking its wings.

“Miracle Armament Arondite.”

I’ve heard that Claudio’s Miracle Armament has the ability to vibrate the tip of the blade and cut through anything that swings.

“I was thinking of attacking your castle next after annihilating your soldiers, but now I don’t have to do that.”

Claudio raised his greatsword and rushed forward. With a burst of energy, Arondite was swung down.

“Dark Breaker.”

With the spell, a black glow was created in front of me. It became a blade of light and flew straight out to intercept Arondite. With a high-pitched sound, Arondite snapped from the middle.

“No way…My Miracle Armament broke……?”

Claudio looks aghast. The spell I just cast, “Dark Breaker,” is a magic for destroying weapons. I had never tried it before, but it seemed to be quite useful.

“You monster…….!”

“I don’t need to respect an insect right?”

I put my hand in front of his eyes.

“Then I’ll……have no respect for you, and I’ll just make you disappear.”

I could feel my heart being painted black. It’s as if something is stuck in the back of my chest.

“Wait, wait……”

Claudio’s face twisted in fear.

“Help……”

The man’s face, pleading in a faint voice, no longer had the look of a fierce warrior.

“How many have you killed who begged for their lives like that?”

I released a magic bullet, Claudio was enveloped in a black flash of light, and before he could even let out a scream, he was gone.

I also repaired the barrier here, and then headed to the next front with Stella. There were a few heroes there as well, but they were not my opponents.  I wiped them out and sealed the holes in the barrier.

I also got rid of the heroes in the other two locations and repaired the holes in the barrier. In this way, all five holes in the barrier were closed. The short battle to defend the demon world was over, so Stella and I returned to the Demon Lord’s castle.

………

There was a blanket of darkness.

“Where’s the exit?”

He was at a loss, but kept walking. A blond-haired, blue-eyed boy with superb good looks, his memory was still muddled. Who was he? Why was he here? His mind was foggy and he couldn’t remember.

“Yes, I am the master of…….”

Suddenly, a part of his memory came back to him.

“No, I killed Freed, and then…….”

With the memory gradually becoming clearer, he – the hero Lyle – continued on his way.