Chapter 74: Crisis of the Demon Lord’s Downfall

“Irine, what do you like?”

“Let me see... Sewing and listening to music, I suppose.”

“Huh. Yeah, that fits the image. And when you’re not putting on the act?”

“Weight training.”

“Whoa.”

It was a date in the capital with Karl.

Not the lovey-dovey kind with hand-holding or arm-linking, though. It was more like a casual stroll through the city, chatting aimlessly.

“Weight training, huh? …Well, now that you mention it, I always did think you had a surprising amount of stamina for a noble.”

“Shall we go together sometime? Karl, your muscles still have plenty of room for refinement, you know.”

“Ah, yeah. I’ll think about it.”

From what I could see, Karl wasn’t nervous or flustered at all.

At the very least, he didn’t act like a guy out on a date with someone he liked.

“I feel like I’m starting to get a better read on you, Irine.”

“That’s excellent.”

“Yeah, thanks for coming with me today.”

At first, I had no idea why he suddenly asked me out, but I was starting to understand a bit of what Karl was trying to do.

Karl had fallen for the outer persona of Irine. So by overwriting that with the monkey-masked real me underneath, he was trying to sort out his feelings.

If he could see me as just a guy friend, then he’d be able to face Maika and confess with confidence.

“Yesterday, it should’ve been around here… There! See, it’s the street performer.”

“Oh my, a street performer?”

“Ever seen one of those before, Irine?”

“No, I haven’t. We’ve had entertainers perform at home, but never like this.”

“They were seriously impressive. Let’s stick around and watch a bit.”

Also, I get the feeling he’s using me as a dry run for a real date.

From what he told me yesterday, his date with Lev didn’t go all that well. So now he wants to gain some experience and try again with Maika.

Honestly, what a helpless guy. But if I can help, then go ahead and use me as much as you want.

“Here, I grabbed something we can snack on. Looks like it’s a pan sandwich.”

“…Oh my.”

“Eating lunch while watching the show is more fun, and we’ll have more time. That fancy place we went to before was too stiff, and we didn’t talk much.”

“That was a failure of planning. …Well, I don’t dislike this kind of casual meal either.”

“This suits you better than something formal, don’t you think?”

Hmm. Not exactly true—I’m pretty used to formal places from parties and banquets and all that.

Still, I don’t mind this relaxed vibe.

“Wow, he spun around like three times, that man.”

“Amazing how he can twist like that without losing his balance.”

Karl and I leaned against a wall in the city, leisurely watching the street performers’ show.

It ended up being a lot more fun than I expected.

---

“Oh my, Karl. There's quite a crowd gathering over there.”

“…Yeah, best we don’t go that way.”

After the show ended, we were just strolling around the stalls when I noticed a massive crowd up ahead.

Apparently, some kind of event was going on.

“Karl, why the grimace?”

“That place holds slave exhibition shows. Yesterday, I accidentally brought Lev there.”

“…Exhibition shows, you say? I see. That’s not something I care to witness.”

The atmosphere was disturbingly energetic, which piqued my curiosity, but apparently it’s not the sort of place one enjoys.

…To think so many people would gather just to watch human degradation—what does that say about the character of this city’s citizens?

“But still, the energy’s off the charts. Even compared to yesterday, there’s way more people here.”

“Could that many really gather just for a slave show?”

“No idea… Maybe they’re hosting a different event today?”

Karl said there were far more people than the day before.

Is it really just a slave show?

“Hey, what’s starting now?”

Karl seemed curious too and called out to someone in the crowd.

“What? You came all this way without knowing? It’s the Diva’s show!”

“Oh? They were doing a slave show here yesterday though.”

“That stage changes daily. Today’s the Diva Show.”

“Seriously!?”

Apparently, it wasn’t a slave show today.

A diva, huh… Like an idol or something?

“There’s a really amazing performer coming today. You should stay and listen. If you just watch from the back, it won’t cost you anything.”

“Hmm. Lady Irine, whose hobby is music appreciation—what do you say?”

“That’s one of my surface-level hobbies. But… I admit I’m a little curious.”

We didn’t have any plans anyway. And if it’s not some vulgar performance, then watching might be worthwhile.

The guy in front of us was visibly excited—maybe we’d actually see something impressive.

“Oh, here she comes! The legendary top star!”

“Hm, I can’t see… What’s with that suspicious getup!?”

A thunderous cheer erupted as someone appeared on stage.

I couldn’t see a thing, but tall Karl apparently could, and sounded shocked.

“…What the hell? A new species of monkey mask…?”

“Uooooooooh!!!”

Sounds like this idol was dressed outrageously.

“Karl, Karl. Give me a piggyback.”

“Whoa there. Don’t fall, Irine.”

What is this? I wanna see too.

Just what kind of person showed up as today’s diva…?

『Thank you all for gathering here todaaay!! I’m Ryu-chan, the humanity-eradicating idol Demon Lord!!』

““Sieg! Heil!! Sieg! Demon King!!””

『You wretched humans, how dare you gather before me! Now, throw your money into the coffer to support my cause!!』

““Leave it to us, Demon King!!””

From my perch on Karl’s shoulders, I saw the idol on stage.

Wearing a bizarre demon-like mask, the self-proclaimed Demon Lord was an obvious weirdo.

『Now then, to all of you who’ve chosen to aid me in conquering humanity, I shall bestow my mercy!』

““UOOOOOOHHH!!!””

『Listen well—here is my first number! "I Am ☆ Demon-King!!"』

With the maniac’s declaration, a strange melody enveloped the stage.

The nonsensical speech, the idiotic stage effects, and the fanatical audience reaction—

Karl and I were the only ones completely left behind.

“…This defies comprehension.”

“…What? I mean, that, uh… What is that?”

“You don’t know!?”

While we stood there stunned by the bizarre performance, the man from earlier launched into an enthusiastic explanation.

“She’s the ultra-dimensional Cinderella, Ryu-chan—once on the verge of becoming a slave, now rising to stardom by seizing her chance!”

『Shiiineeee!!!』

……

Shooting Star Magic plunges straight toward you — Wow Wow

A strike that slices through the stars captures your heart and won’t let go

From now on, no one can stand against me — and do you know why? Do you know why?

────Because I am the Demon☆King!! (BOOM!)

You have no right to refuse — resistance is not permitted

To be love’s slave is pure bliss — loyalty is love, after all ♪

I am the Demon☆King! (Sieg Heil!!)
I am the Demon☆King! (Sieg Demon☆King!!)

Now is the time to burn all of humanity to ash! (KABOOM!)

Offer your heart to me — I’ll savor it before I devour it

Yes, your heart already belongs to me♪

---

"...I find it hard to understand."

"...What? Um, that, uh... what was that?"

When the song ended, a deafening mix of cheers and shouts filled the air.

Karl and I were the only ones who remained stone-faced from start to finish.

"Hey, is that girl alright? I mean, tensions are high right now with the whole 'Demon King might be coming back' thing, right?"

"Yeah. And now that the government has officially acknowledged the existence of demons, she goes and calls herself the Demon King. That girl's a real firecracker."

"She’s a rebellious rookie, the kind you barely get to see even in the big leagues. Who knows when we’ll next meet someone that genuinely funky."

I didn’t get what was going on, but from the crowd’s reaction, it was clear that this Ryu-chan girl was insanely popular.

Calling yourself the Demon King just to get famous? Is that idol out of her mind?

"...Irine. Apparently, she's claiming to be the Demon King. Should we take her down, just in case?"

"Don’t be stupid. There’s no way she’s the real thing."

Karl was clearly rattled by the incomprehensible behavior of the capital’s citizens and reached for his sword.

Stop that. She's just a lunatic girl with a screw loose.

"But that voice... I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before..."

"Y-you think so? I mean, maybe, but... hmm..."

Yeah. I feel like I’ve heard that voice somewhere too.

"Now then, it's time for the long-awaited second number—let’s go!"

"...Irine, what do you think? Want to stick around and listen?"

"No, I’m quite full, thank you."

I was kind of curious about where I’d heard her voice before, but more than that, listening to her sing was giving me a headache.

As the eccentric girl launched into her next song, we decided to walk away.

Any more of this, and I’m pretty sure we’d go crazy too.

---

“Let’s not dwell too much on what just happened.”

“...Yeah.”

After leaving the concert venue, Karl and I slumped onto a bench, looking thoroughly exhausted.

Phew... The world’s gone mad if weirdos like that are getting so popular.

“For a second there, I thought that guy might be Monkey Mask on the inside. I didn’t know there were that many suspicious types out there.”

“What do you mean by that? I don’t dress like some shady weirdo, you know.”

“Wait. That was the real you?”

What the hell do you mean by ‘that was the real you,’ you jerk?

“Ah—no, never mind. Let’s change the subject.”

“...Karl?”

Wait a minute. Is Karl seriously lumping Monkey Mask in with that freak from earlier?

If that’s the case, I can’t let it slide. That mask is cool and adorable!

“That mask is totally cute. It’s pretty and comical, and on top of that—”

“M-More importantly! I’ve been meaning to ask for a while now... are you and Sakura a thing?”

“...Geh!?”

She just dropped a bomb outta nowhere!!

“Are you okay, Irine!? You just started choking all of a sudden—”

“What a ridiculous thing to say!!”

“I mean, you like girls, right? You two are super close, so I thought maybe...”

“Sakura-san and I are just friends! There’s not a single speck of ambiguity in that relationship!”

That totally out-of-left-field topic earned Karl a well-deserved chop to the head.

Don’t go saying weird crap like that. You’ll ruin friendships, you idiot.

“If you want to talk about that kind of thing, you should be talking about Master. Those two are always together.”

“Master and Sakura? No way. They’re more like a parent and child than anything else.”

“They’re still a man and a woman... that makes it way more plausible than two girls.”

“...You think so? Maika watches you two sometimes and mutters, ‘I sense the yuri vibes...’ all excited.”

“Wait, what? Is Maika even that kind of character?”

“She’s actually a bit of a perv. She hides it until she gets comfortable.”

...

I just learned something new about Maika.

So that girl was getting excited imagining me and Sakura as a couple, huh...

“So? What’s the truth, then?”

“I already told you, there’s nothing going on. Fine—let me turn it around and ask you something.”

“Sure.”

“How would you feel if people started heatedly debating whether you and Rey were a thing, right here and now?”

“Sorry, I was wrong.”

Whatever crossed his mind, Karl grabbed his head like he was gonna puke.

A hot guy in a red fundoshi and a dense-as-a-brick hero, as a couple... yeah, just imagining it makes me wanna hurl too.

“Sakura-san and I are friends. No—best friends.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

Karl seemed satisfied with that answer and didn’t press the issue any further.

Seriously. Karl really needs to learn to pick up on the subtleties of human relationships.

---

That day’s date ended without incident.

In the end, we just wandered aimlessly around town without any kind of plan, but it was surprisingly fun.

Having Karl—male Karl—by my side meant I could openly browse muscle training gear, which was probably the biggest win of the day.

“Ufufufu. Using this spring to efficiently work the back muscles... what a marvelous brace.”

“You’re still wearing that brace from earlier? Doesn’t it hurt?”

“It feels great, like my body’s being tightened and toned. I can’t wait to show it off to Sakura-san.”

“...Irine, you’re kind of a perv too, huh.”

Especially that brace I bought on impulse—the one modeled after the Major League Pitching Training Brace. That thing’s a gem.

It applies a different kind of resistance than gravity training, and my muscles are loving it. I’ll keep it on for a while.

“Well, I guess we should head back. Maika and the others should be back on their feet soon.”

“Understood.”

Today was a good day. I’m glad I got to hang out with Karl just as myself.

Until now, I think I’d been keeping a bit of a mask on, always holding back a little when I was around Karl and the others. But today might’ve been the first time I really faced Karl as the real me.

I feel like we got a little closer—maybe just one step, but it counts.

Yeah… today was a pretty big win.

—

—

“—P-Please, help me!!”

“Get back here, you little punk!!”

---

Just as the sun began to set and we started making our way back—

A frail scream rang out, and Karl was suddenly tackled to the ground by something.

“Don’t you run away from me, you whore!! Do you even know how much debt you owe me!?”

“H-Haven’t I already paid back enough!? I had amazing customers today!”

“You dumb bitch! It’s nowhere near enough!! You think you can just walk away from this!?”

I looked over to see a group of thuggish-looking men advancing from the alley.

They stood over Karl, who’d been knocked down, shouting furiously.

“H-Help meee... s-someone...”

“Y-You’re...”

Clinging to Karl in fear was the girl who’d knocked him down.

Her face was hidden behind a demon mask, and she cried out to the hero for help.

“You’re the idol from earlier!!”

“Huuh?”

Unbelievably, it was the same idol songstress who had just moments ago been basking in cheers on stage!

“Oh, hey there, buddy. You know this brat?”

“Eh!? I-I mean—”

“Yes, he’s my friend! We’re traveling together! Right? Right!?”

“Whaaat!?”

Seizing on Karl’s vague reaction, the idol forcibly declared herself a traveling companion and dragged him into the situation.

...What the hell is going on here? Well, if someone’s asking for help, I’ve got no reason to refuse.

“W-Wait a sec!! What the heck is going on, um, Miss Ryu?”

“T-To tell you the truth... I was tricked by those guys into taking on a bunch of debt... But today’s live show should’ve been enough to pay it all back!”

“You think we’d just let a sweet cash cow like you get away!?”

Ah, that’s right—she was that “idol who rose from the brink of slavery,” wasn’t she? So these scumbags are the ones who held her debt.

“We decide the interest on the debt. That bitch is gonna earn a hundred times the original amount for us!!”

“T-That’s outrageous! I’ve paid everything I owe! I should be free now!”

“Shut the hell up!! You’re singing again tomorrow, y’hear!? Disobey and I’ll fucking kill you!!”

“Eeeep!!”

Their absurdly aggressive, logic-defying demands were starting to piss me off.

From what I could tell, this girl had already repaid her debt.

Sniffle... sniffle... If this keeps up, my dream... my goal to wipe out humanity...

“You’re gonna serve us for life, bitch!! We’ll suck you dry, down to the damn marrow!!”

“Nooo!! S-Someone help—!!”

Hmm. Alright, I’ve made up my mind.

I exchanged a glance with Karl to confirm his thoughts. Yep, we’re on the same page.

Karl gently lifted the idol girl in his arms and slowly stood up.

“I’m taking responsibility for this girl. You guys have no sense of honor.”

“Huh!? What’s that supposed to mean, punk? You lookin’ down on us?”

“I’m not mocking you. I’m giving you an accurate assessment. You people are—”

—Kiiiiiinnnn! A piercing metallic sound rang out.

A large crack split open the ground between Karl and the thugs.

Before anyone realized it—

Karl had drawn his dagger and slashed the earth beneath them.

“Hey, hey, Karl. You really shouldn’t go around destroying roads like that.”

“You can fix it, can’t you, Irine?”

“Well, I can fix it, sure.”

Karl’s blade had moved so fast it left the thugs stunned, their bravado starting to crumble.

Alright then—guess it’s my turn to drive the final nail in.

“Oh yes, you're absolutely right. If I can fix it, then there’s no harm in breaking it even more spectacularly.”

“Huh?”

“Ohohoho! Then do feast your eyes!”

With the thugs staring on in stunned silence, I gracefully lowered my hand to the ground.

“HUUUUNHAAAAAA!!”

With that shout, I struck the alleyway with a focused impact, blowing the entire thing apart in a thunderous explosion.

“...Wha?”

“Anyone who dares lay a hand on me ends up reduced to dust like this. So, who’d like to be next?”

Hmph. That was the bare-handed technique I finally mastered from the Silent Blade style—
The silent strike: Muscle Bomber.

“Wh-What is this woman!? Is she a mage!?”

“That weird ceremonial movement—she’s a noble! No doubt about it, she’s a magic-using noble!!”

Seeing the ground erupt just from my touch, the thugs turned pale.

As expected of city folk—they know just how terrifying a noble mage can be.

“Run! We’re no match for a noble!!”

“Damn it, you rotten whore! You’ll pay for this!!”

...But, uh, I didn’t actually use any magic just now. That was just good ol’ hand-to-hand technique...

“Th-Thank youuuuuuu!! I thought I was done forrrr!!”

“O-Okay, okay! Just—please don’t cling to me, Miss Ryu...”

“BWAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

And so, while the thugs fled with their tails between their legs, Karl was once again being clung to by yet another girl with a flag flapping overhead.

At this point, maybe he should just go ahead and die.

“Are you hurt anywhere? If you are, we’ve got someone who can heal you.”

“I-I’m fineeee... Whew, I’ve calmed down now.”

Thankfully, the girl didn’t seem to be seriously hurt.

Good, good. An idol lives and dies by her face, after all.

Even if she’s covering it up.

“Thank you so much, Karl-san.”

“Oh, don’t mention it... Wait, hold on. Did I ever tell you my name?”

“Huuh?”

That clearly suspicious mystery idol seemed to already know Karl’s name.

...Wait, Karl, are you already acquainted with this idol?

“Ah... Could it be that you overheard our conversation earlier?”

“Oh, right. Guess I should introduce myself properly. I’m Karl. Nice to meet you.”

“Hueeeh?”

When Karl introduced himself, the idol let out a weird noise and tilted her head in confusion.

What’s her deal?

“Hey, Ryu-san. We don’t know when those guys might come back tonight. If you want, you’re welcome to stay at the cathedral we’re lodging at.”

“A journey brings companions, and compassion brings company. I say we spend the night together.”

“U-Um... Wait. Huh? Did they seriously not notice?”

“Notice what?”

...Well, no point stressing the small stuff.

It was a bit forceful, but we decided to bring the idol along with us to the cathedral for her safety.

“...Well, sure. I’ll come with you. I was heading back there anyway.”

“Huh?”

And so, through a series of wild events, Karl and I ended up befriending the most popular songstress in the capital.

Can’t wait to see everyone’s faces when we show up with a top-tier idol in tow.