I heard the birds chirping and my consciousness became clear. I slowly opened my eyes, feeling dazzled even with my eyes closed. I felt like I was floating out of the darkness, and there was no pain anywhere in my body.
"Yeah...huh?"
I could see the wooden ceiling. The sunlight poured in through the window, letting me know that it was morning. Looking around the room, I could see that it was a simple room with a desk, a chair, a chest of drawers, and a large mirror, and that this was not the place where the deadly battle unfolded before he passed out.
"Afterlife? No. Why?"
I stood up and looked around to confirm. More than the fact that I wasn't wearing any clothes, I felt uneasy because for some reason my body seemed smaller. When I stepped in front of the mirror and saw myself, I was able to understand what was happening to me.
"Huh?"
A strangely high-pitched voice. The moment I looked in the mirror, I was surprised because everything except my face was different. I pinched my cheek. At the same time as I felt pain, the same movement occurred in the mirror. It wasn't a dream, but in front of me was me. Even though it wasn't a dream, something strange was happening.
She was completely naked, with her long blonde hair down, beautiful sharp eyes and a stern expression. There was a big round growth on her chest. A slim waist and surprisingly healthy white skin. I carefully observed everything and thought about the answer. No matter how I looked at it, there was only one answer.
"Isn't this a woman?! Wait a second, is this really too much?! And is her voice too high?!"
My body and limbs tremble at the sight of myself. I feel fear deep in my heart. She is a beautiful girl with a delicate build, but with a voluptuous chest. Her human form is so attractive that it reminds me of my hateful bloodline of lustful demons. As I groaned, I heard the sound of a wooden door opening, and turned my face in that direction.
"You're awake, Demon King. Good morning."
My archenemy. The hero entered the room in light clothing, just a cloth suit. Naturally, I approached him. I grabbed him by the collar and shook him. "This is all your fault!!!" I said angrily.
"You're a hero!!! What have you done!!!"
"Demon King, calm down. Also, I'm going to get some clothes from the closet, so please put your hands away. I don't know where to look."
The hero raised his hand to show that he had no hostility.
"How can you stay calm?! Why am I still alive?! I've become a woman! Why are you here?! Where am I?! Give me back my male body! I'll kill you!"
"Uh, uh, calm down, okay? I'll explain slowly."
"Don't mess with me! Answer my questions...!"
Push
At the same time as an arm wrapped around my waist, the hand on my collar was forcefully pushed away. The hero's face came closer. The moment our faces touched, the soft sensation made me feel like time had stopped for a moment. Then, realizing what had happened, I placed my hand in the hero's.
Bang!!!
I pushed the hero away. The hero leaned back and then started fiddling with the drawer as if nothing had happened. I pointed at the hero and shouted.
"Y-You!!! W-what are you doing!!!"
"Sorry, I didn't use my hand on purpose. I just want you to remove your hand from my collar as quickly as possible. Shock treatment."
"You faggot! Disgusting! Shit! Shit!"
The hero took out some folded clothes from the closet and approached me. I gasped. I was scared of my first kiss.
"Here, clothes. I'm really sorry. I know you won't feel comfortable in those clothes, so these are cheap clothes, but please bear with me."
"Don't come near me!!!"
This guy is scary.
"Alright then. Get dressed and if you want to calm down, I won't come close and I won't kiss you again."
"Damn it! Hero, don't tell me what to do!"
"Should I come closer? One more time?"
"S-Stop!! Stop it..."
"I'll leave it here. Come downstairs when you've calmed down."
The hero put his clothes on the table and was about to leave the room when he stopped.
"I'll just tell you the location. This is Imperial territory."
"What?! The Empire!!"
The hero left the room with those words. He remembered the information about the Empire of Dreadnought. It was one of the countries ruled by humans, and an enemy of the Demon Nation. That's where I was. Right in the middle of the enemy.
"Let's calm down... Calm down, me. Let's get dressed first. And then... hmm? This is..."
I spread the clothes out and saw they were women's clothing. A skirt with cute frills.
"Ugh... but running around naked is just perverted."
I opened the dresser but found only the same thing. I gave up and put on the clothes, but when I looked in the mirror, I saw that it looked good on me. I closed and opened my eyes in front of the mirror many times to make sure that I was not dreaming. Then I sighed, realizing that I was a woman after all.
"Ugh."
I left the room feeling uncomfortable, like I was cross-dressing. I didn't even know how to put on underwear... I was only wearing my clothes. I had my pants on. I didn't know what to do with the top.
"Why is the skirt so soft!!! It seems like I'm not used to it at all!!!"
When I stepped out into the hallway, the delicious smell of baking bread tickled my nose. Drawn by the smell, I went down the stairs to the kitchen, where there was a table and a stove. I could see the back of the hero.
The structure of the hearth and the kitchen are similar to those in the Demon Kingdom, with water drawn in by magic. The hearth is a simple structure that uses magic stones to make fire.
"Demon King, can you eat bacon and eggs? I bought them first thing in the morning so they shouldn't be rotten."
The hero seemed to sense my presence from the atmosphere and called out to me without looking at me as he continued cooking.
"You can eat it. The Demon King doesn't have likes or dislikes!!"
"That's great. Please wait at the table."
I sat back in my chair. The hero finished cooking and put it on a plate in front of me. It was a beautiful round yellow omelet like a full moon, with slightly burnt bacon and bread.
"I don't know if it will suit your taste, but it should be better than military food."
"You, feeding the enemy..."
I know I've been waiting for this, so maybe it's strange for me to say this, but...
"There's no hostility, so it's not an enemy. There's no poison in it. If you wanted to kill someone by poisoning them, you'd stab them while they were sleeping, right? Don't worry."
"..."
Grrrrr
"That's good. I'm sure you'll have a lot of questions after the meal, so I'll answer them to the best of my ability. I won't answer until I've finished eating, though."
"Ugh. It can't be helped! I'm still not at ease!"
Maybe it was because I was asleep. It was emptier than I thought. I'll ask questions after I eat. Anyway, I just want to eat it now. I don't want to worry about poison or anything. And... although it was simple, it was very warm and delicious.
"Hmm. Not too bad, I guess."
"I'm glad it suited the Demon King's taste."
"Well, now that you've calmed down, I'll ask you each question."
"Bring it on!!"
"Why?! I'm still alive! I couldn't have dodged the magic!"
First, I remembered the decisive battle. It must have been the moment I was wiped out by magic. The hero produced a white feather-like solid object and explained.
"What is this?"
"A broken ancient artifact. They can't do that again. I have to have an identical one somewhere. Its effect is to forcefully evacuate from danger. I used it to escape to this house. It was a national budget item, but it was cheaper than life itself."
"I, is that so... I see."
I don't understand anything, but I understand that I was saved. His actions just now were not directed at the enemy, so he probably wasn't lying. I conclude that he must have some amazing equipment.
"Then why did you help me, hero?"
"Demon King, I think falling in love is a weakness. I think you're beautiful right now. You're the most beautiful in my eyes."
"!?"
"I wasn't patient enough when it came to the kiss. I'm truly sorry about what happened just now. Please forgive me. I'll do anything."
The hero bowed his head on the desk, showing off the top of his black hair. I was surprised by that action and the fact that I hadn't expected to be confessed to by the person I had just met.
"Damn, I'll make it up to you by having breakfast and helping you!"
And... I forgive him. I owe him for saving me from a difficult situation and giving me food. I've decided to let him off the hook. I think I'll forget that I had my first kiss with a guy. And so, even after that, I continued to ask the hero questions. The hero really answered everything.
And...the last question.
"Hmm. Then next question is why my body is a woman's!!!"
"I think it's the effect of the poison."
"Damn, that guy! That aide!"
I slammed my fist on the table. My hand hurt from hitting it so hard.
"Calm down. There's nothing wrong with being a woman. It's an advantage."
"Advantage?"
"The Demon King is a man. No one knows that he's a woman. It's a good way to hide."
"Hide? Me? I'm going back to the Demon Castle now and I'm going to kill him! How dare you betray me!"
"Don't do it. You can't do it right now, you can't swing the sword. There's a sword lying around over there. Try picking it up."
"Hmm..."
He stood up and grabbed the sword hanging on the wall where the hero was pointing. It was the same type of large sword as the Demon King's sword he had. The tip was thinner and longer than the Demon Sword. However, the sword did not budge.
"I can't even lift it! It's so heavy..."
"Your strength has weakened due to the sudden gender change. Your body has changed, so you can't fight with the great sword the way you used to. Do you still want to return to the Demon Castle?"
"Of course."
"Okay. Follow me."
The hero stood up and beckoned.
"Where are we going?"
"There are weapons in the basement. You can choose whatever you like."
I followed the hero. He opened an opening in the floor under the stairs. From there, I climbed down the ladder and lit up the moldy basement with a magic lantern. When the magically illuminated weapons were projected, I realized that this was an armory. There were many different weapons on display, and I felt like it was a treasure trove.
"Hero. Is this all yours?"
"Right. Since it doesn't look like you'll be able to swing the great sword, just pick something you like. There shouldn't be anything too bad here."
"I see... I'll take you up on that offer."
I wondered why he was so well prepared, and why he was handing me a weapon. But I remembered that he had said "I love you," and decided not to think about it. "What an embarrassing thing to say! A confession from a guy is gross!" I thought to myself.
"Hmm? This is a mass-produced item, isn't it?"
I grabbed a short sword that caught my eye and pulled it out of its sheath. The blade was small and the flames flickered. I was surprised to feel the magic coming from the mass-produced sword with no decorations.
"Magic sword?!"
"It's a little different, but it's a sword made with flint extracted from a volcano. It's a masterpiece by a master blacksmith."
"...Hmmm. It's an interesting sword. I like it."
I control the fire and put it back in the sheath. I can't carry a heavy weapon, so a one-handed sword is just right. And... it's cool that it shoots fire.
"I'll have this. Is that okay?"
The hero nodded. "This is my thanks for what you did earlier." I thought about slashing him with my sword, but he gave me such a great sword. I'll hold back.
"Even so, you gave me a weapon. You are the enemy of humanity. Why are you helping me? Just 'like' me doesn't explain it. I thought about it calmly, and I realized that you are helping me to an abnormal extent. Isn't that a betrayal of the king of the kingdom? What is the real reason?"
The hero folded his arms and laughed. A carefree, broad smile.
"I think I said the same thing, but I said it was a weakness of falling in love. There's nothing else. Really… there's nothing else."
"That's disgusting. I don't have any interest in that sort of thing. I'm not a boy or girl, you know?"
"Of course I'm not joking, because it's true."
"...Even though we just met?"
"Even though we just met."
The hero stares straight into his eyes. Intimidated by what he sees in his eyes, he takes a step back. There is no lie in his eyes. He is afraid that he will kiss him again.
"Hmm... It's alright. It's better than hostility."
"Trust is shown through actions. Thank you."
"Hmmph, do your best for me."
As I looked at the sword in its sheath, I remembered the betrayal of my aide. I must return to the Demon King's throne for my freedom. I decided to consider later whether the hero was trustworthy and to use him for my own purposes.
Considering how he shamelessly confesses that he fell in love at first sight, the hero smells a bit odd, but I have no choice but to trust him.
No, it was the first time... that I thought I could trust someone.
*
After receiving the weapon from the hero, he somehow teaches me how to put on underwear. The hero gets changed without paying attention to the details. I'll have to change my mind about that hero. He's too weird.
"I'm a man though... damn it. It's to hold down the annoying flesh. It's so big, damn it."
I had to take off my clothes and put on underwear. It seems that if I don't do this, I'll move around and get in the way.
"Huh... why did this happen?"
I've lost my status and everything. The hero said it's easier to move around in a female form, but it's not something that can be easily shaken off. I want to go back to the body I'm used to.
"I'm weak, I have to rely on the hero, it's pathetic..."
"Demon King, have you changed your clothes?"
He opens the door and comes in.
"Don't just walk in! Knock first!"
I'm ashamed of this body.
"Sorry. Here's your robe. You stand out a lot, so cover yourself up when you go out."
"They are certainly demons after all."
Even though he's close to human, there are small differences between him and humans. Although he has demon blood, he is fortunate that he hasn't grown horns on his head yet.
"If it were to be discovered within the Empire, it would be a beehive... that's for sure."
"That's right, a beautiful woman stands out just for that. You're beautiful, Demon King."
"Stop it! Don't treat me like a woman! It makes me sick."
"No need to worry about such small things. Let me show you around the Empire."
"I'm not small, I'm not small! I'm not a woman! I'm a man!"
"Now, no matter how you look at it, she's a female demon."
"Shut up!! I know!! Don't say it!! It'll make me miserable...ugh"
"Okay. I won't say it, but I'll treat you like a woman. I won't give in on that. Otherwise I won't cooperate, okay?"
"Damn, you're so mean! That's unfair! You're the hero after all."
"Oh, can you stop calling me hero?"
"Ha! You were just a small fry among the hero's apprentices! I won't call you by your name! You are "you"! You are the hero! I will never call you by your name! No, you are my "servant"!
"What should I do?"
"Call me whatever you like, servant."
I turned away. I felt out of sorts, but I don't know why, but I felt the most secure I'd ever been in my life. It must be because... I'm not a puppet.
"Okay then. May I call you by a fake name, Nefia?"
"Ha! Stop using such a weak woman's name!"
"You can call me whatever you like."
"Do as you like!!"
That day ended with nothing but insults. No matter how much I insulted him, he just smiled happily and joyfully.
*
The next day, in the early afternoon. I looked at him across the table. Today, I had a toaster, a soft bread, for dinner. I was surprised that it wasn't hard at all. Even the Demon King hadn't had a good meal.
"What are you planning to do now, Nefia?"
"Of course. I'll go to the Demon Castle and take revenge on the traitors. I'll become the real Demon King, not just a puppet."
"I'll help you. I've already ruined his plan."
"His plan?"
"You were probably planning to either poison him and have me kill him, or kill him yourself and claim revenge for the Demon King. A coup d'état."
"Is that so? As expected of my aide. It's frustrating, but he's excellent. After all, he's the one who's been manipulating things from behind the scenes."
"Don't praise him. Don't praise the guy who tried to kill you."
"That's true. But you saw right through it."
"Because I was eavesdropping."
"Far from being a hero, yours."
"That's what I hear a lot."
The image of a hero from a story is shattered. I had the image of a cool knight, but the reality seems different. I knew it, but... I didn't know the real thing.
"Well... it's sad, but a guy like that saved you in a time of crisis... it's sad."
I sipped the cheap black tea that was prepared for me and sighed. It was true that I had always admired the knights in stories.
"Nefia. We have decided on our objective, but let's wait and see for a few months. The throne isn't going to slip away anytime soon."
"Why?"
"They're weakening, aren't they? And they need funds. And information."
"You're right, it's annoying. There's not enough of anything."
I am ignorant. Yes, I am ignorant.
"So let's earn some money. Let's train. Let's gather information. We have time."
"Well, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. I guess the former Demon King will have no choice but to go along with the plan."
"Well, since you'll be staying here for a long time, I'll explain the facilities here. Put your laundry in this basket..."
The hero showed me around the room and explained things to me. And so, my life in hiding began today. However, I felt less cramped than the days I was under guard and confined... and I was a little happy.