Interulde 2
The fortress of the Demon King—the home of the monstrous ruler threatening peace and humanity—the Demon King’s Castle.
For us, it was a new memory etched into our minds when [Hero] Rika and [Saintess] Yūri stormed the castle.
I—Hina Laryuel—heard a peculiar story from my subordinates and made my way to my father, the Demon King’s, private chambers.
"Father! Father…! What on earth is going on!?"
Bursting through the door, I found my father meticulously packing gold coins into a box.
How could the fierce, commanding aura that once radiated from him be reduced to this?
The once formidable horns stretching menacingly into the sky were now respectfully bowing to the ground.
The proud, rugged beard had been shaved away, and his sharp gaze had softened into the gentle expression of a kind, muscular man.
"Oh, Hina. You see, those heroes who were here recently are getting married, so I’m preparing a gift to celebrate…"
"Everything is wrong! Father! You’ve completely forgotten our mission! You spoke so passionately about it before!"
And let’s not forget the outfit. Once deep black as the abyss, it had been bleached into pure white, spotless and immaculate.
Oh… the father who once proudly boasted of the bloodstains smeared across his armor is no longer here…
"…Hina. Forget all of it."
"Father…?"
"Conquering the world is a dark history we must forget. We, as beings, must hold hands and support each other for coexistence."
"W-What did you just say…?"
I can’t believe it… coexistence? After all those years of shouting conquest and conquest, planning strategies every day… this is all their fault.
Before they appeared, we, the demons, had the upper hand.
But then, those [Heroes] wielded their sacred powers, slaying our kin one by one.
And finally, the heroes reached the Demon King’s Castle, confronting Father. Seeing him like this—this changed personality—it’s unbearable!
From ancient times, there has been a legend about [Heroes].
Those who are bathed in holy light lose their impurities and eventually perish as demons.
Father’s current state mirrors that legend.
The ruthless, feared Demon King who once inspired love and loyalty from the demon kin has been purified to the point where he resembles a mere human…
"This is enough! If that’s the case, Hina will take Father’s place and annihilate humanity—"
"—Hina."
The voice, cold as ice, reverberated through the room.
Only when Father is truly angry does he speak like that. Hina’s face quickly turns pale.
"If you can’t listen, I’ll throw away the erotic novels stored in your desk. The second drawer from the right—there’s a hidden compartment beneath them."
"W-What!? How do you know that…!?"
"I know, Hina. I know why you want to conquer the world. It’s so you can one day write your own romance story, with yourself as the protagonist."
"AHHHHHH!!"
"Guh!?"
Before I could realize it, I had slapped Father.
Father spun mid-air, twirling like a spinning top, before crashing hard onto the floor.
"I-I’m so sorry, Father! But… it’s your fault for spilling such secrets! Even if you’re Father, there are things you shouldn’t say…!"
"Heh… seeing my daughter grow up so lively makes me happy."
Father gently wipes the blood from his mouth with a calm expression unlike any I’ve seen before, speaking to me softly.
"By making peace with humanity, Hina, you can easily obtain the romance novels you love. So, let’s end this conflict."
"That would be easier said than done, Father!"
"…Hina."
How many years have we spent waging war against humanity?
The future seemed destined for either side’s complete annihilation… you even said it, Father.
"I understand. Leave it to me, Father."
I wipe away the tears threatening to fall and lift my head high.
"I, Hina, will carry out Father’s mission and wipe out humanity! I’ll ensure that your wicked and tyrannical eyes will be opened once again…!"
"Wait, Hina!"
Despite Father’s desperate call, I burst through the gates of the Demon King’s Castle, flying into the skies.
Wait for me, humanity…! I will plunge you into the depths of fear!
◇◇◇◇◇
"Heh… she’s gone."
The Demon King watched the silver-haired figure soar into the distance with a heavy sigh.
His enormous frame, larger than the average adult male three times over, now carried a different weight—one of sorrow as a father.
"…Parulka."
"Hup! My Lord, did you call?"
With a swift clap of his hands, a Succubus, dressed in a tailored tailcoat and covering her form modestly—unlike the usual exposed attire of her kind—appeared on her knees.
"Follow Hina. You’ve been with her long enough to understand. She…"
"Her academic performance is lacking, but in combat, she has unmatched talent."
"It seems her brain is mostly occupied with battle skills…"
Her refined "young lady" speech began simply because she thought it made her seem more intelligent.
If that were all, it might have been manageable.
But if it were only foolishness, there could have been a way to fix it… the Demon King sighs, holding his head in his hands.
"And on top of that, the result of raising her like a treasure, isolating her from the outside world… she’s incredibly naive."
"…Naivety can be a good thing. It’s fine. As human contact increases, Hina will grow."
"……"
Parulka listens silently to her master’s words, not showing any sign of anger.
Most of the high-ranking officers in the Demon King’s army have been wiped out by the [Hero]. The only survivors are Parulka, who hasn’t ventured to the battlefield, and one traitor who turned against them.
Given that the Demon King was defeated, retaliating would only lead to pointless death.
Therefore, placing hope in the next generation—Hina—is a natural conclusion.
"Since you’re a Succubus, Parulka, you’re familiar with humanity. I trust you’ll support her to ensure the worst-case scenario doesn’t happen."
The worst-case scenario being losing Hina or causing harm to humanity.
"Understood. Once preparations are complete, I’ll head there immediately. I know where Hina is likely headed."
"Good. And where exactly?"
"The royal capital, where a bookstore with an extensive collection of romance novels is located. She once mentioned wanting to visit it."
"……"
The Demon King begins to worry deeply about whether Hina truly intends to destroy humanity.
——.
Chapter 3