7 – The Weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings Dies at the Hands of the Hero!
The torturous time ends as swiftly as a bolt of lightning. This mission, too, had to be concluded like a flash of lightning.
Over the two years, I finished various preparations. Above all, my faction, the snail demons, had been dispatched to run a dungeon, allowing me to visit human territories and gather intelligence. I perfected the most comprehensive growth scenario for the hero’s party by monitoring their movements.
At times, I even secretly aided the hero. Neither the hero nor the demons would ever suspect. I left behind just enough traces to report my achievements to the organization later on.
And now, the hero had grown strong enough that no one would question it if he defeated me!
It was time.
Time to wrap up the performance.
I waited for the hero at a crossroads he had to pass. If he hadn’t deviated from the expected path, he should be arriving soon.
‘Finally, here you come.’
The hero’s figure had grown familiar. I had watched from a distance a handful of times. The only unusual thing might be that this time, the hero was a woman.
Her fluttering golden hair brought to mind a wheat field at harvest. The gold continued into the sparkling golden eyes, onto the golden threads decorating her white clothes, and finally to the gold leaf embossed on her pure white sword.
The will of gold interwoven against a white backdrop was her symbol.
The maiden hero. Indeed, she still looked young enough for the term “maiden” to suit her. It was natural, considering I had forced her growth, which should have been gradual.
Now I was to face defeat against this hero. Utterly. So definitively that no one could doubt my death.
For that testament, I deliberately called Scarlet here. If she arrived on time as planned, she would witness my death. Since everyone at the demon king’s castle knew Scarlet was close to me, no one would suspect a thing. I also prepared for the possibility of Scarlet being late, but of course, it would be best if everything went according to plan.
I cleared my throat. My breath was deep, my voice low. I conjured a voice that carried the dignity of one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
In the moment that the hero stood alert upon suddenly encountering a half-demon.
I moved towards the hero, cloak swirling around me.
“Hero.”
“Magi…? You, you’re a demon.”
“I am Rain, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s army. You are a follower of the Goddess and dare to oppose our king. I will kill you right here.”
“Heavenly King…? With just that level of power…?”
“…..”
He is a hero, blessed with growing strength each time he defeats a formidable demon. It seems he possesses the ability to measure his opponent’s strength.
Indeed, amongst the Four Heavenly Kings, I am the weakest. Therefore, the hero is sure to achieve victory over me.
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In doing so, I can complete this damned mission and take my leave.
“Stop with the chatter and fight me, hero.”
“Oh, Goddess, grant me the faint light of dawn to dissipate the dark night! Holy sword, bite!”
*
I was born by tearing my way out of my mother’s womb. If there is something determined from birth and called ‘fate’, then due to the horrendous circumstances of my birth, being labeled as the ‘cursed child’ was indeed my fate.
My mother, who was once the Succubus Queen, locked me in a room. I still cannot fathom the feelings of a mother who has no choice but to fear her own child, even after all these decades. I only vaguely felt her sorrow because of the ability I had from birth.
Once, I snuck into my mother’s dream. Her dream was tightly locked, yet the pure white light that had torn my mother’s womb easily shattered those locks.
I shouldn’t have. It was something I regretted all my life.
As a child, I didn’t realize how fragile hearts could be. I forcefully ripped open her guarded heart and my mother’s dream shattered like sharp shards of glass. She was consumed by nightmares. My mother, a Succubus, a species dwelling and controlling dreams, a Succubus Queen, succumbed to them.
It was something even harder to bear than death. How do you describe enduring a horrific nightmare, lost in time, forever? It might closely resemble the pain my mother experienced, the hell that supposedly awaits after death.
The young succubus, me, lost my mother that day. I completely destroyed he whom I called mother with my own hands.
After that day, I never entered another person’s dream again. I completely abandoned my Succubus self, the daughter of a Succubus.
And then, something new took its place.
The ‘Divine Blessing’ I was born with for being the daughter of a hero ignited my will. That blessing helped me stand amidst the most horrific despair, forced me to rise again. The light that shone the brightest in the deepest darkness forced me to open my eyes.
The dreadfully cursed power – the enemy of all demons.
Strangely twisted blessing that became stronger the more hardships I faced.
It compelled me to move.
It took less than 100 years for me to instill fear into all the demons. Rumors of a unique Succubus with the strength of a hero had them trembling in fear.
And when the Demon King reawakened from his slumber.
I was invited to the Demon King’s castle and became part of his royal court.
Only the strongest in the Demon Realm could step foot inside the Demon King’s castle, yet even there, the demons feared me. Only a few powerful demons with their own territories dared to ridicule me.
Not much different here either. As always, I became a loner again. That’s what I thought as I idly looked at the dark clouds in the sky.
An enigmatic man approached. A demon with an equal mix of human and demon blood, he was a half-demon. In the hundred years I’ve lived, I’d rarely encountered such a rare breed.
Except for the peculiar races like succubi or witches, it was extremely uncommon for humans and demons to share affection. The few who were born were mostly persecuted and died, branded as ‘cursed beings.’
What did Rein say then? Ah, surely it was this:
– “You can’t see the stars at all here.”
The skies of the demon world were concealed by dark clouds formed from the concentration of demonic energy. Even on the rare clear days, only the blurred night sky, tainted by the demonic energy mixed in the air, was visible.
So, I thought it an utterly out-of-place remark.
But a certain longing transmitted through that nonsensical statement…
I was at a loss for words. Such emotions were quite… unfamiliar to me. Demonic emotions were typically powerful desires, joy, sorrow, or pain. That’s why I was left speechless when someone conveyed such deep feelings to me.
Had it ended there, it would have remained just an unusual experience.
But he visited me every night. The range of emotions I felt from him was incredibly diverse: wariness, curiosity, doubt, longing, distress, sorrow, injustice, loneliness…
More perplexing than those inexplicable emotions were the unexpected questions he posed to me.
– “Actually, I’m a woman.”
Sometimes he would tell incredibly implausible lies that no one would believe.
– “I want to change this place called the demon world.”
Other times, he would ramble on about his own desires. What was even more mysterious was that, whenever he spoke those unexpected words, Rein seemed to feel a strange mix of curiosity, anticipation, and wariness. As if he was expecting some kind of response from me.
Was it the pressure of those emotions that compelled me? Gradually, I found myself replying to Rein’s questions, even with just a word.
I chastised his nonsensical claims, ignored the questions I deemed unworthy of response, burst into laughter at the absurdity, and sometimes joined him with my gibberish chatter.
Yes. I was laughing. This strange half-demon had audaciously unlocked my heart.
Not by force, like those with the power of a hero who carelessly break in, but through laughter and consideration. Gently, over time, he opened up my heart as if he could become family…
When I realized this, I was overcome with emotion and burst into tears. Why couldn’t I have done this for my mother? Why did I have to ruin her? Why couldn’t I give my mother… the chance to face her daughter once more? Even though I knew I had been too young back then to understand, I couldn’t contain my emotion and cried incessantly.
Rein patted my back. Without saying a word, quietly, as if to say it was alright to cry as much as I needed.
He gave me time.
Despite always being busier than any demon, he stayed by my side for hours while I cried. Always exhausted, more tired than anyone, he generously sacrificed his time for my tears.
After that day, my relationship with Rein changed. To be precise, I couldn’t treat Rein as usual anymore.
I decided to live the rest of my life for Rein. Volunteering as his assistant, I wanted to spend all my time with him. Rein seemed burdened by this but did not dislike it. That was enough for me.
Since then, Rein has changed many things. He gathered the discriminated demons to raise their voices against the mainstream, and occasionally stepped in to help other demons in difficulty. When Rein became one of the Four Heavenly Kings, we had a party together. Rein’s actions were a series of remarkable events.
I, too, changed a lot with Rein. I learned to affirm myself and even used the succubus powers I thought I would never need. It was all for Rein.
But since becoming one of the Heavenly Kings, Rein grew too busy. Unable to refuse, he took on all the work of the other Kings, and when his comrade Slug started managing dungeons outside, Rein had to travel for handovers several times a month. The time we spent together diminished. I didn’t want to hinder Rein, but… the fact was so disappointing that my heart ached.
So I put on a bit of a show for Rein. I took over Rein’s work when he was away, but playfully asked if I could come along on the handovers.
Rein always refused.
This time, they allowed me! I was overjoyed that I could go with Lain. I was so excited that it kept me up at night.
Together with Lain, I got to explore the dungeons of the Slug. It felt like we were on a picnic. Every moment was so delightful. When Lain suggested that we each check one dungeon for efficiency… I felt a bit displeased. How could he not understand a woman’s heart? Although it was just like him, I felt pathetic for having expected more.
Since it had come to this, I was set on getting the check done as soon as possible and going to where Lain was. Surely there wouldn’t be any problem. After all, this was the place that Lain inspected many times a month.
In my rush, I accidentally set off a few traps… um, sorry Mr. Slug.
Having completed the check, I entered the middle area and saw Lain. He seemed to have arrived much faster than my hasty finish. But, what?
“O Goddess, blessing of heaven to your believer! Holy sword, bark!”
Lain was under attack. Why is the warrior here…?
“Lain…?”
“Scarlet? Get out of here! Right now!”
“So there was a companion? O Goddess, your lantern to those who are lost in the dark! Holy sword, chase!”
“Damn. Evade it! Scarlet!”
The light of the holy sword shot toward me. A true warrior’s power, given directly by the goddess, differs from the half-blessing that I carry. A demon cannot withstand a hit from that power.
I used the warrior’s power to deflect it as best I could. The warrior seemed startled.
“A demon using the warrior’s power…? How is that?”
“Warrior, your opponent is me! I, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King Army, Lain, will be your personal opponent!”
“Argh, what a nuisance! Holy sword, tear him apart!”
The warrior’s power is the natural enemy of all demons. Though I am a Succubus, I am not exempt from this. I knew this the moment I barely deflected his attack.
“Scarlet! Go tell Slug! Bring the demons!”
“Cowardly act! O Goddess, a verdict of fate from which he cannot escape. Holy sword, seize!”
But Lain, being a half-demon, will be able to hold out. The warrior’s power does not affect him. So, if I call for backup as Lain says, we can win.
I ran. I can’t remember the last time I ran till I was out of breath.
I ran all the way to the inner dungeon where Slug was.
But why am I feeling so uneasy?
Why, why the hell….
Why did Lain, when I was running away…, look relieved? Why did he feel sorry, and why did he display such warm feelings…?
.
.
.
By the time I arrived at the place where the warrior was, along with Slug’s demons, both of them were already gone.
Traces of the fight led into the dungeon’s interior. It looked like Lain had intentionally lured the warrior there.
As we ventured deeper into the dungeon with the creatures, an ominous premonition slithered up to me. Why can’t I hear the sounds of battle? Why can’t I hear anything at all?
If the two were still fighting, it couldn’t possibly be this silent. Surely, it can’t be, it’s unthinkable for the half-demon, Rain, to have lost so easily to the hero.
As I continued to follow the trail, I spotted bloodstains. It was clear someone had sustained a lethal injury here.
“Rain…? Where are you…?”
If it were Rain, he surely would have defeated the hero. Rain was more capable than anyone.
He was someone who would naturally achieve what everyone else deemed impossible. It must have been the same this time. It had to be. I couldn’t bear to think otherwise.
Yet, uneasy thoughts refused to leave my mind.
Why did Rain send me away with such reassurance…? Why did he feel that way in such a situation?
Why, just why.
If it were the half-demon, Rain, he should have withstood the hero’s power….
– “But you’re the only one who can withstand my hero’s power, aren’t you? I wanted to try.”
– “It doesn’t mean I won’t take any damage, you know?”
I summoned the hero’s power into my hand. Bringing it to my arm felt like thrusting my limb into flames, leaving a burn-like scar along with a severe pain.
The hero’s power I had witnessed was far greater than this. It was different from the meager prowess of a half-breed like me.
But even so, Rain was strong.
Rain’s strength was not just about having mighty physical power. He knew how to use the environment to his advantage. From the pranks of the Scepter King ‘Onyx,’ he had always managed to escape by using the topography and surroundings to his advantage.
That must have been the reason Rain drew the hero into this dungeon.
Yes.
Into this dungeon that I confirmed.
The one where I had hurriedly checked and accidentally triggered several traps….
……
……
……
It was my fault.
I was the one who killed Rain.