Chapter 90: The Demon King and the Hero

"…Can you tell me your name?"

"Ah, me?"

That day, a young boy and girl met.

"I'm Al. A mage who controls fire."

"…A mage. So that means you're a noble?"

"Hahaha! Sorry to disappoint, but I’m a commoner. My parents wouldn’t even acknowledge me as their daughter."

The girl, her crimson hair gleaming, firmly took the boy’s hand.

"Then let’s play. We’ve exchanged names, so we’re already friends."

"Eh—uh, are you sure you want to be friends with me?"

"No need to hold back. I left home with nothing but the clothes on my back, and I don’t know anyone. So—"

The boy blushed.

And the girl laughed with bright cheer.

"Be my friend."

That day—

They became friends for life.

---

Everything ended before my eyes.

Ilyu—Demon King Yury—devoured Aldebaran, the hero of mankind.

No matter how many times I rubbed my eyes or pinched my cheek, I didn’t wake up.

This wasn’t a dream.

Without Hero Aldebaran, humanity has no means of defeating the demons.

Without the hero’s power, there’s no way to deal with the swarm of demons who’ve begun to stir once again.

"Gulp, gulp—hah. As expected of a hero. What magnificent magic power."

"A…Al…"

"…Please don’t hold a grudge. This too is war."

Ilyu smiled seductively, her cheeks stained with the hero’s spattered blood.

Then, as if satisfied, she let Aldebaran’s severed head fall to the ground with a plop.

"This is our—this is the demons’ victory."

So she declared.

I couldn’t say a word.

I couldn’t make a single sound.

"Now then, everyone. I believe it's time we hold a victory feast."

"I-Ilyu…"

"Fortunately, we have a feast lying right in front of us. Since they chose to stay even after I warned them to flee, I’m sure they won’t mind being eaten."

"A…a…ah────"

Hero Aldebaran is dead. Karl has lost his strength.

With this, every hero humanity had is gone.

"Now then, shall we begin this splendid banquet?"

The Demon King survives, and the heroes are dead.

Despair engulfed humanity.

"…So this is a lost war. Good grief."

"My, you haven’t lost your fighting spirit yet?"

Still, there were some who had not given in.

Blond-haired Inon, though pale in the face, drew his sword and pointed it at Ilyu.

"Yes, I am a noble, after all. How about I hold them off here, buy time for everyone else to escape?"

"Oh, how lovely. I do enjoy that kind of thing."

"We call it noblesse oblige, you know. …For the sake of my surviving comrades, I’ll struggle with all I’ve got."

…

That’s right. I’m a noble too.

Just like that man said, I can’t afford to sit here in a daze.

To help even one more person survive this place, I must fight until this body gives out.

"I… I’ll fight too────"

"…No! Sister, please calm down!"

"Miss Irine, don’t push yourself. Your body can’t move anymore."

I tried to stand as well, but was immediately overwhelmed by crushing fatigue and dizziness, collapsing to the ground.

Ugh, so this is what magic exhaustion feels like. Brutal.

"Enough, Irine. Stand down."

"Karl…"

"I’ll hold them off too. Everyone, run as far as you can."

Blocking my path forward—

Karl, Rey, and Lev-chan—our frontline fighters—all gathered, swords drawn.

"I’m leaving the rest to you, Irine."

"But…"

"Just go!"

Moments later, I was slung over Master’s back without a word of protest, torn away from Karl and the others.

Running beside me were Sakura, Ilya, and our rear-guard members like the healer Kichou.

"The demons who fainted will wake up soon! We need to get as far away as possible before then────"

"Hehe… How far do you think you can run on human legs?"

Damn it.

I can’t even run properly anymore.

And I probably won’t ever be able to use magic again.

What’s the point of running in this condition?

"…Come now, everyone. It’s time to wake up."

"They’re coming!"

"Let’s vent our anger on humanity. Let’s pour shame upon them."

But no matter how much I lamented it, I could do nothing.

My limp body was carried, fleeing further and further away.

"Don’t let a single one escape this place! Exterminate all of humanity!!"

"You’re not getting away with this!!"

────I was so utterly powerless.

---

Before long, the demons resumed their advance.

Some of them seemed to be severely injured or choking, but more than half were completely unscathed as they came charging at us.

With my support magic already depleted, humanity had no choice but to be trampled underfoot.

"Count Vermund… has been slain!"

"…Father!!"

We tried to save as many civilians as possible.

To that end, the national army stood their ground with bravery—and fell, one after another.

"…We should be safe, now that we've made it this far."

"Y-yeah."

We kept fleeing, even as we left behind those who fought so valiantly.

Away from the battlefield, we ran and ran, without end.

"…That suicide assault by the Demon King really got us."

"Who would’ve thought she could regenerate from just her arm… If only I had looked toward Al, even for a second."

"I was supposed to be Aldebaran’s rearguard. If I’d done my job properly…"

"Irine, you were chanting. It wasn’t your fault."

What do you mean, saving the Demon King?

What do you mean, never giving up on peace?

None of that matters now────the truth is, demons are overwhelmingly stronger than humans.

"Hic… guh…"

Tears streamed down my face.

It was frustrating. Shameful.

I’m disgusted with myself for trusting Yury’s own unreliable prediction magic and failing to prepare for the worst.

I hate myself for blindly believing—with no proof at all—that of course humanity would win────

---

"Yes… Humanity was far too careless."

"…!!"

As I let out a silent cry of anguish, I heard a voice I recognized.

"I told you I wouldn’t let you escape, didn’t I? Leaving the Hero’s party alive would only let the seeds of calamity grow."

"I-Ilyu!"

"I’ve come to kill you, Irine. I have no intention of leaving a spirit arts user alive."

…Teleportation magic.

Before we realized it, the enemy leader—the nun—stood right in front of us.

"I won’t let you kill my sister! Ilya will be your opponent!"

"My, what an adorable little sister. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to send you to the afterlife right alongside her."

Ilyu had apparently come alone.

Did she really think people like us weren’t even worth bringing guards for? Or maybe teleportation was limited to one person at a time.

"Oh my. I thought so—Irine, you really overdid it, didn’t you? You’re out of magic entirely."

"Indeed. It seems I was a little too reckless."

"At this point, I doubt you’ll ever be able to use magic again even if I left you alive. Perhaps I didn’t need to come kill you myself."

"Then perhaps you’d be kind enough to let me go."

"…I’m afraid not. This is war, after all."

Ah… the dense scent of death.

The moment the Demon King Ilyu raised her hand toward me, every hair on my body stood on end.

This… this is it. She’s really going to kill me.

"Any last words, Irine?"

"…So reconciliation really is impossible now?"

"Yes. The grudge between humans and demons runs too deep."

Ilyu’s eyes glistened darkly.

A comrade I had once journeyed and laughed with… was now aiming deadly intent straight at me.

It felt so utterly unreal.

"Goodbye, Irine."

She began chanting a spell—prepared to blast me away along with my sister Ilya, who stood shielding me—

"Hey, Ilyu."

"What is it, Sakura? Don’t interfere."

"…You’re crying, aren’t you?"

At those words from my old friend, I lifted my head.

Looking up, I saw Ilyu, about to kill me—her face streaked with large tears.

"This was your long-cherished goal, right? The demons’ victory. You should be happy."

"…Shut up."

"You’re such an idiot, Ilyu. No matter how this ends, you were never going to be happy either way."

Tears spilled from Ilyu’s eyes, even as she tried to kill me.

That gentle, gentle nun cried—while trying to murder an old comrade like me.

"Whether demons win or humans win… you’ll just end up crying either way, won’t you?"

"…No. I only ever wished for the demons’ victory…"

"And now you’re hurt because you have to kill someone you became close to. …You're not fit to be the Demon King."

At Sakura’s words, the Demon King swallowed hard.

Ilyu never claimed the title of Demon King because of ambition.

She was loved by the demons, and took the throne only out of a sense of duty.

"In the end, there was never any way for you to be happy."

"You—how dare you speak like that! You lost this war! You’re about to die!"

"You’re right. I admit defeat. But if we have to lose, I’d at least like to see the victors smile."

Even under Ilyu’s murderous aura, Sakura stood her ground without flinching.

"For the victor to cry and suffer like this—it’s the greatest insult a loser could ever receive, don’t you think?"

"…!"

Was it despair that drove her?

Or was it true, burning fury?

Sakura stared Ilyu down and declared it flatly.

"…Enough. I’ve decided. I’ll kill you first."

"Be my guest. But don’t expect me to die quietly."

Ilyu clearly snapped at Sakura’s words.

She narrowed her eyes, lifted her hand, and aimed it at Sakura.

"No… Sakura-sa—"

"Stop, my lady!"

"I’ll be going on ahead. See you later, Irine."

Stop. Don’t kill her.

She’s… she’s a dear friend to me.

"Stop it, please, stop!!"

"…Perish, soul."

Defying Ilyu’s incantation, Sakura raised her staff and swung it down to strike her—but of course, there was no way she’d make it in time.

"Cleanse that soul────"

The spell tore through both Sakura and the Master who had jumped in to shield her, ripping their bodies apart.

---

"……"

Where did I go wrong?

Right before my eyes… lay the body of someone precious to me.

How… did things end up like this?

Right in front of me, Ilyu was crying, her eyes swollen with tears.

"You're next…"

And the Demon King—

Slowly turned her open hand toward me.

---

"────Guidepost of the one who carves the path…"

At that very moment—just as I accepted death—

A chant I had never heard before rang out from behind me.

"Hmph. Is that supposed to be healing magic? No matter the spell, the dead cannot be brought back."

"────Seasons that pass, eternal slumber at twilight… flow forward, yet press on…"

"…Kichou…san?"

It was the boy from Aldebaran’s party—the team’s healer.

His face was firm with resolve as he slowly continued chanting.

"Hey, Demon King Ilyu. Before the end, may I ask you one thing?"

"…What is it, human?"

"Tell me… were we—the Hero’s party—strong?"

While I was still dumbfounded by the chant, my sister Ilya suddenly spoke to Ilyu.

"What kind of question is that?"

"Well, we did push the demon race right to the brink of annihilation, didn’t we? I’d say we were pretty strong."

"…How full of yourself can you be?"

What is she up to?

Ilya wore a calculating expression as she kept drawing Ilyu into conversation.

"I'm sorry, but I think you were weak. Let me be clear: if the Demon King hadn’t been a hopeless mess like me, it would’ve been over in seconds."

"That’s not just sour grapes?"

"Hah? I haven’t lost, you know? True, the suffocation spell nearly tripped me up… but that’s all."

Ilyu said this, then paused in thought.

Weak. The Demon King judged us as weak—plainly, without hesitation.

It was… a deeply humiliating truth to hear.

"Hero Aldebaran was, to be blunt, weak. Fire magic has too many flaws and is easy to counter. If you only have one trick, you’re the weakest hero in history, frankly."

"…What?"

"The party members were also quite disappointing. Warriors who can’t even beat a buffed goblin on their own────in our era, they’d barely qualify as foot soldiers, yet here they are serving as the Hero’s guards."

Coming from someone who lived through the fiercest era of war, her words carried weight.

Surely, those who fought the Demon King in her time were far stronger than us.

"The only one who could be called remotely competent was the spirit arts user, Irine. But even then, your magic reserves are pitiful. I suppose it can’t be helped, given the era—but even by our time’s standards, you’re below average."

"…Even so, I was called the greatest mage in the world."

"Oh dear. Sounds like magic has seriously declined while I was sealed away. How tragic."

Saying this, Ilyu gave a small shrug.

…That’s the first time anyone’s said I have low magical power. Everyone always praised me as a genius.

"Rather harsh reviews you’ve given us. We were under the impression we were pretty impressive, actually."

"Where did that confidence even come from…? You lost to a Demon King who not only declared war in advance but also gave you the exact date of the attack."

"You didn’t have to do that in the first place."

"If I hadn’t, those who wanted to escape wouldn’t have been able to, would they?"

I see. So Ilyu truly had no cunning or strategy behind it. That ‘warning’ had been sincere, a real evacuation notice.

"────By the way. If I were to say, we haven’t lost yet, would that make you mad?"

"…No. I’d just be stunned."

Just as Ilya finished those words—

"……?"

A gentle, warm light rose from the ground and wrapped around us.

"…That boy’s chant from earlier? What exactly is this supposed to be?"

"What do you think?"

"You're trying to seal me? Even if you sealed me now, it wouldn't change the situation at all."

Ilyu instinctively leapt away from the light.

Sensing danger, she had put distance between herself and the source.

"I don’t plan to be sealed that easily, either."

"…You think we’d do something so crude?"

…And then, the light—

Formed into radiant, pulsating waves that solidified, as if encasing all of us within it.

"What is this? Even I’ve never seen magic like this."

"…Al isn’t weak."

"This is an extremely unusual attribute? Hmm… could this be a newly discovered school of magic?"

"What would you know? Al—Hero Aldebaran—wasn’t weak at all!!"

Having finished the chant—

The boy, Kichou, who had silently listened to everything until now, shouted at the Demon King, shaking with fury.

"…Eh? This… this is—"

"Al! Aldebaran was────!!!"

And then Ilyu realized it.

She finally understood the nature of the spell that the unassuming boy had chanted without attracting any attention.

"This can’t be────"

---

This was a story from the days of their childhood.

"…Please. I want you to listen to what I have to say."

"…Huh?"

A runaway noble girl had become close friends with a young boy.

In a peaceful countryside town, the two played together like siblings, growing inseparable.

As time passed and they reached the age where they would begin to walk their own paths—

"I want you to become the Hero."

—A being who called herself a goddess appeared before them.

"Soon, humanity will face a hardship far beyond anything it has ever known."

"…Is that true!?"

"It is. If nothing is done, the world will fall under the dominion of the demon race."

She introduced herself as Macro, a goddess.

She spoke of the Demon King’s impending return—of the looming possibility that humanity would be annihilated.

"Please lend us your strength. You have the power to save the world."

"B-but…"

"It’s okay. I will guide you as well."

And so, the goddess succeeded in convincing the two.

"Now… hold out your hand."

She bestowed upon the boy her divine blessing—and the power of the Hero.

---

"That's amazing, Kichou! I can't believe you were chosen as the Hero!"

"N-no way, there’s no way I can do this! Maybe it’s not too late to turn it down and let someone else—"

"Don’t talk nonsense! The goddess carefully examined countless candidates and chose you in the end!"

The noble girl, Al, was overjoyed that her childhood friend had been chosen as the Hero.

Determined to support him, she declared that she would join him on his journey.

"Kichou, your abilities are incredible. But you yourself aren’t much of a combatant."

"Ugh…"

"That’s precisely why the goddess appeared while you were with me. So that I could protect you."

Yes—

"Don’t worry. I’ll be your stand-in Hero."

"…That’s way too dangerous!"

"Come now. I’ve always wanted to try calling myself a Hero anyway."

And so, she took on the title of Hero herself.

"From today on, I’m changing my name."

"Huh? Why?"

"Well, a Hero needs a cool name, doesn’t she? That’s all there is to it."

She was just a little flashy like that.

"Aldebaran. From today forward, I’ll be the Hero Aldebaran."

"…Ah, that is kind of cool. And with that name, I can still call you Al like always."

"Exactly. From now on, treat me like I’m the Hero, Kichou."

Having learned of the world’s impending doom, she never hesitated to take on a dangerous role—and all she had at the time were her fire magic talents and her brave, reckless heart.

"From today, I am the one who walks behind you… Aldebaran."

────She had been just an ordinary girl, found anywhere in the world.

---

“I knew it was strange! That girl was weak for a Hero—no, way too weak!”

“Al isn’t weak! Al nearly wiped out all of you without any divine blessing!”

“So then, the Hero is actually…”

Ilyu realized the fatal truth as well.

The Hero wasn’t dead yet. The war between humanity and the demons was far from over.

At that moment—

“I saw through your strategy, Demon King.”

“Ugh, damn it! Perish, soul────”

“It’s too late. Whatever you do now, the incantation is already complete.”

Aldebaran was not the Hero.

She was just a girl who bore all the dangers and burdens of being the Hero, in place of her childhood friend.

Once, the goddess Sephah said this:

The Hero is a cheat, a trickster—one who’s been handed power so great it shouldn’t be possible to lose.

Like Karl’s Absolute Sever.

Like Yury’s strongest support magic.

A single overwhelming ability capable of turning the tide of battle alone.

“────Until we meet again, Demon King.”

“...You, humanity, humaaaaanityyyyy!!!”

The ability given to the Hero Kichou by the goddess was—

“Time Leap Turnover.”

A magic that can rewind time once—just once.