Chapter 21 : Reunion

In the Demon King’s audience chamber, an unbearable silence dragged on.

It had already been over a week since the promised day Blood King Arma was supposed to arrive. During their last

message, she clearly said, “Just wait a little longer~ I’ll be there soon~”

The powerless Demon King had no choice but to learn patience the hard way.

He, who had never known what waiting meant, had been staring silently at the audience room doors for seven days now.

The expressions on the Head Maid and the Grand General, who were watching him, were not good.

“I’m going to lose my mind…”

“Me to

The Head Maid and the balding Grand General were standing loyally by the Demon King’s side.

It was the Demon King’s order—to stay beside him. When the Head Maid muttered, “Isn’t this workplace abuse?” she got

hit with a staff.

Time passed so slowly it felt like one minute lasted a hundred years… until finally, the doors to the audience chamber

began to open.

“I’m here~”

“Arma…”

Blood King Arma finally peeked her head through the doors. Either she didn’t notice the tense mood or she simply didn’t

care—she walked in beaming, a whole week late.

She had purple hair and red eyes. She always covered her face with a cloak and dragged a huge axe behind her across the

floor.

The Head Maid shouted at her every time to please stop dragging that thing—it was scratching the floor—but every time,

Arma just tried to steal a kiss from her instead. After all, Arma was a lustful monster who went after both men and

women without discrimination…

“You said you’d be here a week ago.”

“But you kno~ow how busy I am~”

Even the Demon King couldn’t argue against her babyish whining. The eastern region of the Demon Realm was currently

overwhelmed by monster waves. The dragons and demons were barely holding out against the flood of monsters.

Where all those monsters were even coming from, no one knew…

“Get ready. We’re heading to the north right away.”

“Did Grandpa Paph really rebel? That kind old man?”

“I don’t know.”

“We’re going to ask him.”

The Demon King had no interest in whether it was true or false. Arma thought about the letter the Head Maid had sent

her—about how he’d fallen for a Saintess and snuck into a human academy to flirt with her…

Arma smirked, as if she’d figured it all out, and started teasing the Demon King.

“Wow~ finally, that Demon King?!”

“What?”

“The same Demon King who wouldn’t even look at a man for 500 years—was this your taste all along?!”

“It’s not like that!!”

“You’re the one who always told me not to live lewdly, right?!”

“You and I aren’t the same!!”

The Demon King finally exploded at Arma’s relentless teasing.

Honestly, it was insulting to compare him to Arma. This was the first time he’d ever fallen in love. Meanwhile, Arma

changed partners daily. He had every reason to be upset.

“That’s why I told you to get rid of that giant magic-covered lump of muscle you called a body~”

“Shut up! Shut up!!”

“Maybe now… the Demon King is fair game for me too~?”

Arma licked her lips and stared at him with lewd eyes. The Demon King sensed danger and quickly hid behind the Head

Maid.

Before he died, his body was so covered in magical muscle that no one could even tell whether he was male or female.

That’s also why the Saintess hadn’t recognized him.

“Enough. Let’s get going. And Blood King, please stop teasing the Demon King.”

“Our Head Maid’s pretty pink hair is as lovely as always~”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“Our Grand General is… oh…”

Arma stopped mid-sentence after noticing the General’s circular bald spot.

“How about dying once and being reborn?”

“I’ve seriously been considering it.”

As if death was the only cure for baldness, something warm rolled down the General’s cheek.

“i want to talk for a moment. Just the two of us, Demon King.”

“Say it here.”

“Only the two of us.”

The Demon King looked like he didn’t want to be alone with her, but after seeing Arma’s serious face, he quietly dismissed

the Head Maid and Grand General.

“What is it?”

“Even if Grandpa Paph really did rebel… please forgive him.”

“I know. I’m sure he had his reasons.”

“Is this really the Demon King I know?”

“Shut up.”

Arma looked at him in disbelief. He’d changed so much from before he died that it was hard to believe it was even the

same sharp, harsh Demon King.

“Bringing up Garra was probably just to deceive Garra’s subordinates.”

“Well… that’s obvious.”

“So… how long for Garra and Lamia?”

“Lamia could come back in a year. Garra… five years.”

Only Arma could use that strange kind of magic—or curse. Soul binding. As long as the soul was bound and the body

was intact, she could bring someone back to life.

But the more damaged the body, the longer it took to revive.

Except for the Dragon King, all the other Four Demon Kings and high-ranking Demon Army officers were bound to Arma.

Because the curse didn’t allow forced orders, no one worried Arma would rebel. To earn the Demon King’s trust, Arma

even gave her heart to him and got permission to bind the Four Demon Kings under this curse.

It started out from her goodwill—so that her comrades, who died too easily in the harsh Demon Realm, could live out

their natural lifespans. If someone reached their destined end or wanted to die, Arma would not revive them again.

“Well… that guy really did get torn to shreds just to see the Hero, huh.”

“you said it.”

“I wish Garra could come back soon…”

Leaving the Dragon King alone for five years was too long. If the beastmen holding Fenrir started a war with the Empire,

they’d have to send eastern troops to the west again.

If that happened, the barely-holding eastern defense line could collapse.

“For now, Charlotte is the priority. The north is too dangerous for humans.”

“Wow~ That’s real love~”

“Is it?”

Arma giggled seeing the Demon King blush. For her, who couldn’t even remember her first love anymore, this was a

refreshing new way to tease him.

“What made you fall for her?”

“That… the expression… and her eyes… from the last time I saw her…”

“Love at first sight, huh?”

“maybe… I guess…?”

The Demon King and Arma fell into total girl talk. Arma was busy teasing him, and the Demon King, who had never had

this kind of conversation before, was just smiling absentmindedly while thinking about Charlotte.

Knock

“Aren’t you coming?!”

The Head Maid yelled impatiently from outside after waiting who-knows-how-long. The Demon King snapped out of it,

coughed awkwardly, and pushed Arma away.

“Then, shall we go rescue your first love?”

“…Yeah. I should hide my appearance first.”

Wearing a cloak the Head Maid handed him, covering even his head, the Demon King took only Arma and the Head Maid

with him, tearing a teleport scroll with the coordinates of the Dragon King’s castle in the north.

The useless Grand General would stay home to guard the place.