The Demon King,
A symbol of fear,
A title bestowed upon the absolute ruler of the demonic realm, deep within the earth, a different world known as the Demon World,
He led the demon race, infamous as the followers of darkness, He commanded terrifying creatures, considered the most vile abominations, as they slaughtered countless humans and launched their invasion on the surface world,
But now, the Demon King is on the brink of death,
---
In the Forest of Darkness, at the heart of the Demon King's army headquarters, stood a stone structure called the Demon King's Castle,
And deep within, near the throne, the Demon King was leaning against a pillar, gasping for breath,
His breaths were ragged, and a large wound, possibly inflicted by a sword or some other weapon, marred his chest, Blood poured endlessly from the gash, staining the ground beneath him,
Grinding his teeth, the Demon King glared at the adversaries who had inflicted this wound,
A group stood there, men and women of all ages, dressed in attire commonly associated with adventurers, which clashed with the demonic setting,
The sound of clashing armor echoed,
A golden-haired female knight, clad in ornate armor, stepped forward and raised her sword, shouting,
"This is the end, Demon King, This place will be your tomb, Count your sins in the flames of hell,"
Hearing such a dramatic line, the Demon King's face twisted in anger,
It was a mistake,
Never did he imagine that the humans would launch an attack from beyond their lands in the east, crossing the natural barrier of the Everbane Mountains and the Forest of Darkness to strike at the Demon King's headquarters,
And for that attack force to not even be an army, but merely a group of adventurers—such a notion was laughable,
Yet, these adventurers had broken through the defenses of the Demon King's Castle, penetrating all the way to his throne,
And now, the Demon King was fatally wounded,
It was no exaggeration to say that this was the moment of his greatest peril,
"..."
Even though he had underestimated the scale of the attack, the Demon King's Castle was still the Demon King's Castle,
Numerous powerful defenders were stationed here, and a myriad of defensive magic spells, personally arranged by the Demon King, layered the fortress in preparation for such an emergency, But all of these had been shattered, an impossible occurrence,
Suddenly, the Demon King clenched his fist as if struck by a revelation,
He suddenly realized,
He could no longer use the powerful magic that had once elevated him to the position of Demon King,
And at that moment, he understood the nature of the weapon that had just struck him,
A weapon that had so easily pierced through his numerous defensive spells and his magic-enhanced body,
"Anti-Magic Weapon,"
An anti-magic weapon,
A weapon of ancient times, long forgotten in the annals of history, created solely to slaughter magic users,
This weapon was said to have the power to penetrate any magical barrier and nullify any offensive spell in an instant,
It also possessed a terrifying ability: to seal the magic of its target,
"I thought they were all destroyed over time..."
"Ha, 'anti-magic weapon'? That's a boring name, Call it what it is: 'A Holy Sword,' because it's the sword of a hero,"
The one arrogantly boasting from within the group was a man heavily guarded at its center,
Though his demeanor was rough, he wore surprisingly ornate armor,
The Demon King couldn't help but frown at the man's mocking grin,
...The situation was spiraling out of control,
Most of the Demon King's main forces had left to attack human kingdoms or establish settlements for the demons still in the underworld,
Though some demon troops and monsters remained here, with all his magic sealed, hoping for reinforcements was futile,
The Demon King had only one choice left,
He had to find a way to solve this situation himself,
His gaze sharpened, He had to find a solution,
A heavy silence settled between the Demon King and the group of heroes, It was then that the silence was broken by one of the hero's companions, a young girl,
"May I ask you just one question?"
"...?"
The Demon King glanced at the girl who had boldly spoken to him,
Under his gaze, the girl, wearing a hat decorated with star patterns, looked slightly intimidated as she pulled it down further, The Demon King, frowning, muttered under his breath,
"A human from the Mage Tower,"
"Yes, that's correct,"
A confirming answer, The Demon King, still panting, asked,
"What business does a human from the Mage Tower have with me, Are you proposing a contract to the Demon King?"
Mocking her, he looked around for an opportunity, He needed to buy time,
"No, While that's an interesting proposition, it's not why I'm here, But Demon King, I'm not speaking as a representative of the Mage Tower today, I'm here as a simple magician, and I wish to ask you one question, Will you answer me?"
"..."
"Wait, what are you doing? Why ask the Demon King anything?"
"Hold on, Hero, The sage must have a reason for this,"
The blonde female knight from earlier, who had spoken in theatrical tones, now restrained the man called Hero,
The girl, called Sage, looked determined, her lips pressed tightly together as she stared at the Demon King,
"..."
The Demon King made no reply to her gaze,
However, the girl took his silence as consent, Taking a deep breath, she finally asked her question,
"Demon King, what I want to ask is not about ancient magical incantations or knowledge of the Demon World that only you possess,"
"..."
"The only question I have for you is this, Why did you betray us?"
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Author's Note:
Hey there, readers!
First off, I want to thank you for diving into the first chapter of Return of the Demon King. Since this is my first novel, your feedback and thoughts mean the world to me! I'd love to hear what you think—what worked, what didn't, and any suggestions for improvement. Your reviews and comments will help me shape the story moving forward.
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Thanks again for being here!