Chapter 79: The Fallen Nun is Consumed by Hatred

The evil goddess died before my very eyes.

No… she was killed. By someone I thought was an ally—by the hand of the demon, Ilyu.

“…Ilyu?”

“Yes? What is it?”

The bloodstained nun sneered as she held the cross that had slain the god.

Her eyes glimmered—seductively, sorrowfully.

“Not a hero anymore, are you, Karl-san?”

With an arrogance that didn’t suit her in the slightest, she reigned over the scene.

---

“…What’s going on? Are you… Ilyu?”

“That’s right, Karl-san.”

“The Demon Lord? What Demon Lord? Why… why did you kill the goddess?”

I realized my hands were trembling.

Something that should never have happened had just become reality. That’s what it felt like.

“You betrayed us? No—were you deceiving us all along!? Ilyu…!”

“Yes, that’s right. I approached you from the very beginning with the intent to kill you.”

Ilyu let out a soft, bewitching chuckle.

No… perhaps I should call her by the name she just claimed—Demon Lord Yury.

“Let me reintroduce myself, former Hero’s Party. I am the current Demon Lord, and the fallen Hero who inherited the power of the Evil Dragon.”

“…You—!”

“That name, Ilyu, was merely an alias. Even though it’s technically my real name, calling myself Hero Yury would’ve drawn all sorts of unwanted attention.”

With a swift motion—

The Demon Lord Yury swung her cross, and her blood-soaked clothes became pristine once more.

Even the damage was repaired? Was she manipulating time?

…If so, this would be a form of magic impossible to replicate in the modern age. And yet, Ilyu activated such a complex ritual without a single chant.

“Yes. I can use magic again. It seems my seal has been almost completely undone.”

“Seal…?”

“Mhm. Truth is, most of my power had been sealed away… by those wretched humans.”

Facing her anew—no, facing the Demon Lord Yury—I realized something.

An overwhelming amount of magical power. An immense force was compressed within her.

“Eek!?”

“Wh-What’s wrong, Irine?”

“This is… What is this… The spirits… They’re worshiping Ilyu…”

The moment her magic leaked into the surroundings, spirits from all over town began to gather in the sanctuary.

The sheer number of spirits flocking here couldn’t even compare to Aldebaran’s. As expected of someone calling herself Demon Lord—Ilyu’s on a whole other level.

A hero from an ancient time when magic was far more advanced—her magical power defies words.

────It’s immeasurable. Even with my eyes blessed by the spirits, I can’t grasp the full extent of her power.

“…Why, Ilyu? Were you lying to us this whole time?”

“Yes.”

“All those times we laughed and shared meals together—was all of that a lie!?”

“…Yes.”

Eventually—

Karl began to slowly raise his voice and stepped closer to Ilyu… to the Demon Lord Yury.

“I… I trusted you… damn it all!”

“I felt the same, Karl-san.”

Karl is no longer a Hero.

He’s just an adventurer now—stripped of his former power. If someone like him carelessly approaches a Demon Lord, it wouldn’t be strange if he were killed for it.

────And yet. Even with Karl grabbing her by the collar, Yury didn’t resist in the slightest.

“…!”

“I wanted to believe in you too…”

With a pained expression, the Demon Lord silently let the tears fall.

“…Hey, Karl-san. Do you know what a Hero really is?”

At last, Yury began to speak—quietly, as if telling a story.

“Huh?”

“What is a Hero, to humanity? Have you ever truly thought about that?”

The Demon Lord who killed the goddess and stole the power of a Hero.

And yet… for some reason, the look in her eyes now—

“Let me tell you a little story, Karl-san.”

Why… does she look so unbearably sad?

---

────Around 400 years ago, during the Second Great War Against the Demons.
This was the era when Ilyu went by the name Yury and fought as a Hero.

Within her party, composed solely of Heroes, she played an unassuming role—devoted entirely to support in the rear lines.

『A Wyvern's appeared! It’s one of the Demon Lord’s top officers!!』

『I’ll provide support right away! Everyone, hang in there!』

Back then, every single Hero far outclassed someone like Karl, the current Hero of today.

In those days, the goddess’s presence was close at hand, people’s faith was stronger, and the land itself was saturated with magic.

In such an age, Yury was, without a doubt, the finest Support Mage of her time.

『Alright, took its head off!』

『Hell yeah! The Wyvern’s down!!』

The disaster known as the Wyvern had long tormented the volcanic city and couldn’t be taken down even by a regiment of royal knights.

As one of the Demon Lord’s executives, the dragon was swiftly defeated by the sudden assault of the Heroes.

This battle would serve as the turning point that catapulted the Heroes to fame and reverence… but—

『…Kya!?』

『What’s wrong, Yury!?』

At the moment of the Wyvern’s defeat—

Only Yury was struck by the dragon’s curse just before its death.

『Huh? I’m fine, really.』

『…What was that all about?』

『Guess it was the bastard’s dying breath.』

Tragically, Yury failed to notice the change occurring within her.

She wouldn’t realize the tragedy that had taken root in her body until years later.

---

In time, Yury successfully fulfilled her role as a Hero.

After a long and grueling battle, she and her comrades managed to drive back the Demon Lord’s army and defeat the Demon Lord himself.

『……』

『H-How are you feeling?』

Having achieved a monumental victory, the Hero party was welcomed back with nationwide celebrations, and each member went on to live a life of nobility and luxury.

However, Yury, for some reason, stopped aging. No matter how much she ate, she never gained weight—and even if she went days without food, she felt completely fine.

At first, she chalked it up to her body simply being built that way.
But when she accidentally cut her finger and saw it regenerate on its own, even she had to admit something was clearly wrong.

So Yury went to consult the party’s healer, who had once fought beside her.

『…Yury. You’ve turned into a dragon.』

『…Huh?』

The name of the anomaly, as revealed by the healer, was the Curse of the Wicked Dragon.

It was a curse that allowed a slain dragon to possess the one who killed it and take over their body.

『D-Damn it. I’m sorry. I don’t think I can lift this curse.』

『……』

『But if nothing’s done about it… Yury, your body will eventually be taken over by the dragon.』

---

Upon hearing that, she began traveling across the land in search of a way to lift the curse.

But no matter where she went, no method of dispelling it could be found.

『Yury, are you still holding up?』

『Yes. The curse has hardly progressed at all.』

Even though she couldn’t lift it, Yury managed to suppress the dragon’s curse almost perfectly.

It was in dispelling magic—especially suppression-type—that she truly excelled.

Through her own efforts alone, Yury was on the verge of conquering the curse of the dragon.

『…With the dragon’s lifespan and regenerative powers, yet the heart of a human.』

In the end, not even the technology of that era could find a way to remove the curse of the wicked dragon.

As a result, Yury was forced to continue living as a human with the immortal body of a demon.

『…Hey, Yury. I know it’s a lot to ask of you, but…』

『Yes.』

『Please protect this kingdom, our descendants… humanity itself.』

Decades later—

The heroes who had once driven back the Demon Lord and protected the world had all passed away.

Each of them had lived a long life and met a peaceful end.

『Yes… You can leave it to me.』

But Yury—

The cursed saint was not permitted to die, and remained behind, alone.

『The peace they fought to restore… I will protect it to the very end.』

Upholding the dying wishes of her comrades who once fought alongside her against the demons,
Yury chose to continue serving the kingdom, dedicating herself to its future.

---

The last surviving Hero.

A living legend.

A hundred years after the Demon War, Yury had become one of the highest authorities in the nation.

『For the children with nothing, build an orphanage. For the sake of spreading faith, construct cathedrals.』

Even after her comrades' deaths, Yury continued to take part in governance as the Pope of the Sefa Order.

Her policies were always aimed at protecting the weak and the helpless.

With the wars against the demons now over, Yury asserted that military spending was no longer necessary. She insisted that efforts should instead focus on reducing the number of citizens who starved to death.

And in truth, there were no surrounding nations with any intent to wage war. After all, the Empire of Pedia—home to the still-active Hero Yury—was considered the most powerful country in the world.

However, within Pedia itself, the infighting among the imperial nobility never ceased. If there was ever any need for an army, it was not for enemies abroad—but for enemies within.

Because Pedia was so powerful, the power struggles were all the more intense. This constant strife troubled Yury greatly.

One day, Yury was summoned to the residence of a certain high-ranking noble.

That noble was none other than the Cardinal of the time—her right-hand man within the Order.

『Lady Yury, I have a confidential report… and a proposal.』

Seeing the grave expression on his face, Yury braced herself for something serious.

But what came next left her utterly speechless.

『Lady Yury. I ask that you step down from your position as Pope.』

Yury’s policies had undeniably helped the people. Her popularity among the masses was nothing short of extraordinary.

However, it was the nobles who actually governed the nation. No matter how beloved she was by the people, it didn’t translate into real political power.

『Your policies are a cancer to the Order.』

Returning benefits to the people was nothing but wasteful spending, they said.

For the nobility, the most important matter was increasing their influence and military strength.

That was, in essence, the Cardinal’s argument.

『What nonsense! Governance exists to serve the people!』

『It is the people who serve the nation. Lady Yury, your achievements are admirable, but the wasteful spending has gone too far.』

That Cardinal harbored grand ambitions.

He sought to one day usurp the throne and declare himself ruler of the empire.

『Lady Yury… As long as you remain, I can never become king.』

And so it was that, on that day, Yury was captured in a coup staged by the Sefa Order.

She had never been one for offensive magic or martial arts. She had always fought alongside her comrades, supporting them from the rear.

『Let me go!! Do you even understand what you’re doing!?』

『Oh, we understand perfectly well, Lady Yury.』

Yury’s magic was sealed, and she was imprisoned in an underground cell by the Order.

This was the beginning of Yury’s long, long descent into despair.

---

Yury was said to have overcome the dragon’s curse and ascended to the heavens.

Since this announcement came from a cardinal of the Church of Sefa, no one questioned it.

The people, though saddened, mourned the death of Yury, the great hero.

"...Please, stop."

But the reality was that she had become a slave.

Yury herself had most of her powers sealed and was continually tormented in an underground prison of the Church.

"Please... set me free already..."

Yury could not die, no matter what was done to her.

Even without food, she would continue to live. Even when brutally wounded, she would regenerate on her own. No matter how much time passed, she would never age and remained beautiful—such was the "Saint."

Because of that convenience, she was subjected to degrading treatment for many years.

"To think that the great Lady Yury would be in a place like this... Are you truly saying we can do whatever we wish?"

"Yes. Please, enjoy yourself as you like."

Her body was mainly used by the Church to entertain nobles.

For amusement, she was subjected to demands that ordinary prostitutes could never endure.

But due to her curse, Yury could never die.

"Magnificent. Truly, a fine specimen, this one."

In time, the man who had been a cardinal rose in power—not to the throne, but to the highest rank of nobility in the nation.

"Let us pass this on to our descendants for generations to come—this perfect tool for hospitality."

And so, the unbreakable pet that required no maintenance—Yury—was kept imprisoned underground, forever.

---

She was once known as the Saint of Smiles, beloved by the people.

Now, thanks to the curse, her body was continually restored and toyed with without rest, day after day.

It didn’t take long for Yury’s mind to break.

"...What is this? Why am I imprisoned?"

Several decades had passed since Yury had been captured.

Then, a voice she had never heard before echoed in her mind.

"Hey, you. Why are you being held captive?"

"..."

At first, Yury thought she had finally lost her mind.

She sneered at herself, thinking hallucinations had finally begun.

But—

"So, I finally managed to return to steal your body, and this is what I find..."

"...Ah. It’s you."

Eventually, Yury realized the true identity of the voice echoing in her head.

Having lost her ability to use magic, she hadn’t maintained the counter-spell against the dragon’s curse in decades.

This voice—was the voice of the evil dragon. Apparently, the seal of the Iryu — the mighty dragon had broken on its own.

"If you want to take over my body, be my guest. Suffer in my place."

"...Hah?"

It didn’t matter anymore. Yury saw it as a trivial thing.

If it wanted to possess her body, then it could go right ahead.

"Because both you and I are nothing more than imprisoned slaves now."

Eventually, even the dragon came to understand that it, too, was trapped in an eternal prison from which there was no escape.

---

Are humans truly capable of such cruelty?

Are humans truly capable of falling to such depths of depravity?

"We found a surviving goblin. Let’s try mating it with her."

"Do Nuns even bear children?"

Out of a mix of curiosity and sadism, Yury was forced to bear the child of a demon.

Unable to resist, she gave birth to a goblin.

"She gave birth, she gave birth."

"I wonder what size difference she can handle and still carry to term."

"Let’s test it."

Yury’s treatment changed drastically depending on the current noble in charge.

Some would relentlessly violate her. Others would conduct experiments just for amusement.

Some treated her like a monstrous creature, abusing her out of fear or contempt. Others simply stayed away, choosing not to involve themselves.

"...Oh, Yury’s stomach just split open. So there is a limit—too large and it won’t fit, huh."

But no matter who the master was, for Yury, it was all the same—hell.

After all, every servant assigned to take care of her ended up “entertaining themselves” with her.

---

How many decades had passed?
How many centuries had gone by?
When had the era been, when Yury was beloved by the people and lived as a hero?

"Why has no one come to save me?"

Even after her heart had shattered, Yury kept waiting for help.
She believed that one day, someone with compassion would notice her plight and come to her rescue.

──Roughly two hundred years later, Yury was made to entertain a certain individual.

"This way, Your Majesty."

"Hoho! So this is truly the legendary hero?"

One day, a man known as the King entered Yury's chamber.
Indeed, he was the picture of royalty—draped in lavish garments, the very image of a ‘king.’

"…The seal is absolute, yes?"

"But of course."

"Then, I shall indulge myself a bit. I heard stories from my father and always wanted to take her for myself."

…The King.
That was the name claimed by the man with the leering, debased smile.

"Still, what a pathetic woman. She should've lived quietly without meddling in matters beyond her."

"Hahaha."

Why was the king of the nation here?
Why wouldn’t a king save her?

For the first time in ages, Yury opened her mouth and pleaded for help.

"Hahaha, what nonsense are you babbling?"

"Please… help…"

"You are far too great a burden for the kingdom. That is why, generation after generation, the royal family has turned a blind eye to your existence."

"Eh… ah…"

"In a world without a Demon King, a hero is nothing but dead weight. Now spread your legs, you washed-up hero—my royal sex slave."

Yury's existence had been sanctioned by the state.
With those words from the king, she finally understood—help would never come.

---

One day, the imprisoned Yury received a rare bit of good news.

As it turned out, even she—once believed to be immortal—was not doomed to live forever.

If she lived out the full lifespan of a dragon, said to be ten thousand years, the curse would be lifted, and she could return to the heavens.

"Is… is that true?"

"Of course, former Hero."

She had heard this while inside her cage—from Iryu.

Learning that her endless suffering did, in fact, have an end brought Yury to tears of joy.

Even if that end lay a staggering ten thousand years away, the fact there was a goal gave her courage.

"…I'm sorry. It’s because I possessed you."

"…No. The ones truly to blame are humanity, far more than you."

The voice that echoed in her mind often brought Yury comfort.

"If only I could have possessed someone else instead…"

"But that’s… impossible, isn’t it?"

"Yes. I can only transfer to another when I die."

Having spent over a hundred years together, Iryuu and Yury had become friends.

To Yury—who had been constantly oppressed, violated, and toyed with—their conversations were her only source of peace.

"…Yury, by obtaining your incredible magic power, I’ve become effectively immortal."

"I see."

"Because of that… I can no longer die. I’m sorry."

And Iryu, too, came to deeply sympathize with Yury.

Though she had once been part of the heroic party that destroyed him, their bond had grown into something resembling that of irreplaceable friends.

---

“…Hey, Iryu. Why don’t you try going outside, at least?”

One day, Yury made that proposal to the dragon.

“And how exactly would I do that? Is such a thing even possible?”

“Yes. There’s a faint trace of magic power in the semen that’s released from a man. I’ve been secretly storing it, little by little, without being noticed.”

It was Yury’s final resort—a stash of magic she’d quietly saved over the span of a hundred years.

“Iryu… I want you to become my familiar. If we do that, you’ll remain magically linked to me and gain the ability to possess someone else.”

“…Very well. I accept. From this moment on, you are my master, Yury.”

“Thank you. Hehe… I’m not good at offensive magic, but…”

The transfer of a curse. Magical manipulation.

It was a miraculous feat that only Yury—an expert in such sorcery—could accomplish.

“In terms of cursecraft, I’m something of an expert myself.”

That night.

Yury allowed Iryu to possess one of the men who came, as usual, to abuse her.

“Huh? What’s this… weird feeling?”

“You probably picked up something from messing around too much.”

Within half a year, that man’s mind was completely overtaken by Iryu.

In control of the man’s body, Iryu began traveling across the lands for Yury’s sake.

“Goodbye… my other half.”

And so, Iryu—who had spent so many long years with her—parted ways with Yury.

Iryu vowed to one day return and rescue her.

And Yury gave Iryu a single command.

“Bring calamity to humanity. Kill them all with every cruelty you can imagine.”

It was a curse—spoken by a once-saintly woman who had long since lost her sanity.

By this point, Yury could feel nothing but pure hatred toward mankind.

“Exact vengeance. Bring divine retribution to the humans who used up the Hero and cast her aside, indulging in their tyranny.”

Iryu obeyed her words faithfully. As he built up the strength needed to one day break her free, he also assembled the most notorious band of raiders in history—the “Villain Clan”—and bared his fangs against humanity.

“Wipe humanity from the earth────”

And so it was.

Yury, at some point, became the Demon King.