Chapter 11: Demon King

A week had passed since I arrived at the Second Legion.

Bathory had kept her word about the temporary reprieve from training, allowing me my first peaceful days since arriving.

“So, did you rest well? We’ll start training again tomorrow, so get plenty of rest today.”

“Starting again means that, right?”

Although, it feels like it’ll be the last time today.

“Well, what else would it be?”

I hadn’t slept properly at night for a week since that day. Every time I closed my eyes, the same nightmare haunted me.

I had spent more time awake than asleep.

“Aria? Aria?”

“…Ah!”

Bathory’s voice startled me awake.

I keep falling asleep like this. Must be because this body is still young.

“Did you hear what I said?”

“Huh? No…”

“I told you it’s not good to skip sleep, didn’t I? What if it affects you during battle?”

Get some proper sleep today.

Her words felt like a cruel joke. I knew I’d wake up in the middle of the night, plagued by nightmares, no matter how hard I tried to sleep.

“More importantly, we have a rather special guest today, so be prepared.”

She spoke as if my thoughts were irrelevant. The word “special” triggered a flashback to the recent events.

The pool of blood on the floor, the man lying in the center of it.

His last words, and my sword swinging down to sever his neck…

“Aria? Are you listening?”

“…!”

“Haah… Haah…!”

“Are you okay?”

Her voice brought me back. I realized I had stopped breathing at some point.

“You suddenly spaced out. I was worried.”

“Sorry… I remembered that moment…”

Bathory seemed to ponder my words. After a moment of reflection, she gave a small smile, as if a realization had dawned upon her.

“If you thought the special guest meant a sparring partner, it’s not that.”

“R-Really?”

“I promised no training until today, didn’t I?”

“You did. That’s a relief… then who is it?”

A special guest…

Who could she possibly be referring to?

“It’s none other than the Demon King.”

“Pfft…! Cough! Cough!”

I choked on the water I was drinking, spraying it everywhere at the mention of the Demon King. Was my reaction that unexpected? Even the composed Bathory seemed momentarily taken aback, pausing her meal.

“…I didn’t expect you to be that surprised.”

She approached me.

I can do it myself… But before I could refuse, a handkerchief in her hand was already wiping around my mouth.

Her touch was surprisingly delicate, unlike her usual demeanor. As her face drew close, I tried to ignore the heat rising to my cheeks, forced to remain still until she finished.

I’m not a child…

She returned to her seat after confirming I was clean. Still flustered, I spoke to change the subject.

“Find me one ‘person’ who wouldn’t be surprised to hear ‘Demon King’.”

“That’s true.”

“More importantly, why is the Demon King coming here?”

Bathory’s eyes narrowed slightly at my casual mention of the Demon King.

Come to think of it, I referred to her master without any honorifics. That reaction is normal.

“…You should probably add an honorific. And I told him about you. I think he’s coming because he’s curious.”

W-What? Why…

“I bragged about you.”

Bathory looked at me with a ‘look how well I did’ expression. I could almost sense a strange pride radiating from her.

I expected this to some extent…

I knew the original Aria had interacted with the Demon King after becoming a Legion Commander. The problem was when.

The one who brainwashed the original Aria was none other than the Demon King.

“I don’t want that…”

“Oh?”

Did she hear me? With a slightly touched expression, Bathory reassured me.

“If you’re worried the Demon King will take you, don’t worry. You’re mine. I won’t give you to anyone.”

“Eh?”

There seemed to be a misunderstanding, but it was a promise from the Second Legion Commander nonetheless. Her usual behavior made me uneasy, but her promise gave me some comfort.

“Hee hee…”

Don’t worry, Aria. I won’t give you to anyone. I never lose what’s mine.

An hour later.

“I thought it would take longer, but you arrived quickly.”

“No need to be so nervous. He seems interested in you.”

Standing in front of what appeared to be a reception room door, I couldn’t help but feel tense.

She sounded confident, but even if Asmodeus objected, she was still a Legion Commander.

If the Demon King willed it, she would have to hand me over.

Thinking like that makes it impossible not to be nervous…

“Shall we go in?”

“Ahh…!”

She grabbed my wrist with one hand.

Attendants opened the doors, and we stepped inside.

The moment I entered, my whole body froze.

Danger…!

My instincts screamed.

An overwhelming pressure filled the room, similar to the first time I met Bathory. My body stiffened, and shadows instinctively formed a weapon in my hand.

Just as I was about to swing the newly formed sword, Bathory’s voice stopped me.

“Aren’t you being a bit too intimidating, Demon King?”

As her words faded, the oppressive aura lessened. The life-threatening pressure disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving behind only a lingering tension.

“Hmph. You praised her talent, so I wanted to see how great she was.”

And? What do you think?

The Demon King spoke, observing my reaction.

“So-so. Though it’s not something to say to her face.”

“…Take her back to her room.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

At the Demon King’s dismissal, a demon who had been attending him bowed and led me out.

“See you later.”

Bathory gave a small wave as I left. I took one last look at the room before the door closed behind me, cutting off even the sound.

“So, what are your thoughts?”

“She’s worthy of praise… At that age, sensing such subtle killing intent, and that reaction speed… It’s unimaginable for someone her age.”

“I told you.”

Asmodeus smiled proudly.

The Demon King looked at her with slight exasperation.

“Would you believe that? An eighteen-year-old girl, not even a Hero, injured a Legion Commander with pure skill?”

“I experienced it firsthand.”

“So, what are you going to do with her? Are you thinking of recommending her for a Legion Commander position in the future?”

She shook her head at the Demon King’s question.

“Of course, I’ll be training her. And as for Legion Commander… It’s not bad, but…”

Hee hee

“Wouldn’t she claim that position on her own without a recommendation?”

“The other officers seem interested in her as well… Certainly, with you, it’s fine. No sane demon would want to antagonize you.”

“Insane… Aren’t you being too harsh?”

She responded with a slightly exaggerated air of offense. However, the smile on her face didn’t waver.

To the Demon King, who knew Asmodeus well, it was just amusing.

“How absurd… Do you not remember how you got to that position? By personally wiping out the original Legion Commander and a third of their forces?”

“That’s ancient history.”

“…There are few demons in the Demon Realm as abnormal as you.”

“Oh my, how cruel~”

Silence fell between them.

“So, what will you do? Originally, I planned to take her and solidify her loyalty before entrusting her to you.”

The Demon King spoke first.

“I can’t agree to that. I wouldn’t be able to see her despair if she becomes an emotionless doll.”

“I’ll revise my assessment. You truly are the most insane.”

“…Tch.”

“So, can you guarantee it?”

“Don’t worry. I simply dislike the idea of her becoming an emotionless doll.

I’ll make sure to break her completely.”

She then began to explain her plan to the Demon King.

“Sigh… Even though I’m the Demon King, I feel sorry for that human. To be caught by you…”

By the time she finished, even the Demon King was speechless. Her plan was nothing short of hell for Aria.

“You’re thorough with your work…”

“Of course.”

“Do you think the other Legion Commanders will stay put?”

“Haha… That’s funny.”

She laughed as if genuinely amused.

“They’re not people I need to worry about. Besides, as you said earlier, Your Majesty…”

You know how I got to this position, don’t you?

Silence filled the room again after her words.

“Then I’ll be going.”

“Shall I see you out?”

“No need.”

The Demon King rose and headed for the door. Asmodeus’s final words echoed behind him.

“When you return, she’ll be different.”

The Demon King left the room.

Pausing momentarily at the door, he muttered softly,

“Despair…”

But he was the Demon King, and she was a human.

Even without Asmodeus’s plan, now that he knew Aria’s potential, his only options were brainwashing or elimination.

Therefore.

“It’s none of my concern.”

Whether she died or suffered worse, it wasn’t his problem.

Left alone in the room, Asmodeus stared at her empty teacup.

“Why did I do that…”

The plan she had explained to the Demon King.

It wasn’t her true intention, but a plan concocted on the spot.

“But if I hadn’t said that, he would have taken her…”

It was merely an excuse to keep Aria.

I’m not someone who cares about these things.

If the Demon King had taken Aria, her past self would have simply felt a tinge of regret and moved on. The brainwashed Aria would eventually be entrusted to her anyway.

She was a merciless lunatic and tyrant, not someone who formed attachments.

But upon hearing his words, an unknown emotion bloomed in her heart, leading her to question her actions and embellish her plan with slight exaggerations.

The Demon King’s usual assessment of her also helped make it convincing.

What was that…

It wasn’t strange that she didn’t understand her current feelings. For someone who expressed love as a twisted possessiveness, the emotion of anxiety was unfamiliar.

“Well… It’s natural to not want to lose what’s mine.”

Besides, it’s not entirely a lie. What I want is her despair… so look forward to it.

With that thought, she dismissed her worries and pushed aside any lingering attachment to her feelings.

Feel at ease and embrace hope a little longer, for the sake of the pain I’ve prepared for you.

The greater her hope, the greater the impact of shattering it.

“Hahaha… I’m quite wicked, aren’t I…”

Perhaps the Demon King’s words about her being the most insane weren’t entirely wrong. Thus, another day passed in the Second Legion.