Chapter 196
Chapter 196: The Shadow Savior
“What the… what are you planning, you bastard?!”
It was no wonder Barbara raised her voice in utter disbelief.
The Demon Lord’s Prince, who had behaved so ruthlessly on the battlefield, was now suddenly bowing down, forehead crashing against the floor as he apologized.
I don’t get it. Plus, there’s a girl who looks like a dragon and a limb-less forest elf chick watching this whole thing unfold.
What kind of situation is this? What the hell is going on…!?
“………”
For a moment, Zilbagias remained prostrate, silent like a stone. Eventually, he lifted himself up and gazed into Barbara’s eyes once more, opening his mouth again.
“My name is… Alexander. Former Hero.”
—A name I did not expect popped out, leaving Barbara stunned.
“Al, ex…?”
Her eyes drifted to the old holy sword hanging at the Demon Lord’s Prince’s waist.
No way.
“The Unyielding Holy Flame…?”
Is he talking about that Alex?
“…You remember me?”
Zilbagias’s face contorted as if he were about to cry. If it’s that Alex, how could he forget? He’d never forget!
But it’s unbelievable, and I can’t comprehend. Why is the Demon Lord’s Prince claiming to be Alex!?
“But you called yourself Zilbagias…!”
“That’s true too… it’s a long story.”
Scratching his head awkwardly, Zilbagias struggled to find the right words. His oddly human-like mannerisms were so out of sync with the cold demeanor of a Demon Lord’s Prince, which only perplexed Barbara further.
“…Seven years ago, during the Demon Lord Castle raid, I was brutally killed by the Demon Lord… and around five years ago, I woke up to find myself reborn as a Demon Prince.”
Zilbagias began his story, gazing off into the distance.
“………”
While Barbara displayed her suspicions, she listened carefully, as the situation was so baffling that she decided to keep her mouth shut and hear him out for now.
“So… well, after a whole lot of things, I ended up here.”
“…No, you skipped way too much!”
Barbara couldn’t help but interject. She did not expect his explanation to end there.
“Come on, there has to be more to it!?”
“There were a lot of things, but not enough that would merit a lengthy explanation! I woke up as a Demon baby, figured out I was the Seventh Demon Lord’s Prince Zilbagias-Reiju, and desperately acted like an innocent baby so nobody found out I was human while I underwent lessons from my mother, the Duchess, and a knowledgeable demon up until today…!”
Zilbagias sighed heavily, his shoulders drooping.
This storytelling style. The almost clueless tone. It was so reminiscent of the “Alex” that Barbara knew, making it even harder to believe.
“If you really are Alex,”
With arms crossed, Barbara inquired, as if testing him,
“…What was the content of the letter you sent me?”
Zilbagias suddenly looked alarmed.
“…Did I even send a letter?”
…
This guy might just be pretending to be Alex for some unknown reason…! I can’t forgive this demon!! What kind of fun do you get from mocking the dead!?
“No, wait, wait! My memories from my previous life are a bit hazy!!”
Zilbagias flailed his hands, trying to soothe Barbara as her expression shifted to one of rage.
“The more I accumulate experience as a Prince, the more my past memories fade! Oh, that letter… that was the last one I sent during the raid, right!? I think I sent it to a bunch of people, but the content… it’s a bit…”
With a hand on his forehead, Zilbagias grunted as he desperately tried to dig up memories.
“The content… sorry, I can’t remember… but I think I sent you gold coins… probably.”
—At those words, the tension drained from Barbara’s half-transparent shoulders.
“…Is that so.”
So he remembers, at least. It’d be strange to randomly bring up gold coins in the context of a letter, meaning if he hit the nail on the head there, then he must truly be Alexander…
“Oh right. If you’re looking for proof of my identity, this is the fastest way.”
Zilbagias suddenly clapped his hands and drew an old sword from its sheath at his waist.
“—Awaken, Adamas.”
The faded blade pulsed as if it could feel a heartbeat.
A flash.
“Ah…!?”
The once-dull holy sword regained its true form. But—it’s blinding! Too blinding! Barbara felt a chill run down her spine and recoiled.
“Ah! Sorry… Sleep, Adamas.”
Upon seeing Barbara shiver, Zilbagias made a sheepish face, sealing the sword away with a snap.
“………”
“………”
Silence filled the space. Both Zilbagias and Barbara stood frozen.
Barbara was rendered speechless in shock. The sacred light she had felt so reassured by on the battlefield—of all things, she found herself afraid of it.
What am I, really?
The vivid truth unveiled—
But she understood at the same time. Knowing the sword’s name and that it was made by dwarves, the fact that it acknowledged him as its owner meant—
“You really are… Alex.”
His expression bore an apology for being born as he slowly nodded—Alex.
But.
If that’s the case.
It only raises more questions.
“Why… did you kill us?”
With a murmur that felt almost lost, Alex squeezed his eyes shut. Clenching his teeth, tension filled his hands—
“My goal is to destroy the Demon Kingdom.”
In a voice low enough to seem to resonate from deep within the earth, Alex declared.
…Ah. That face. That expression. The fiery hatred in his eyes.
Even though they didn’t look similar at all—this is Alex.
No doubt about it.
“As a Demon Prince, I have successfully forged a pact with the Forbidden Demon.”
“The Forbidden Demon?”
“A super strong demon. And there she is.”
Alex pointed back with his thumb, prompting the demon girl behind him to say, “Hmm. I am the Forbidden Demon,” puffing her chest out.
That’s… the “Demon God”? She does have an imposing aura, but… “God”…?
Barbara was taken aback by how far removed that was from her image of what a god should be.
“Contracting with the first Demon Lord was the Devouring Demon, Cannibal. And I formed a pact with the Forbidden Demon, Antendeixis.”
Ignoring Barbara’s skeptical look, Alex continued, staring at the floor.
“—Through the contract, the more I commit taboos, the more power I gain.”
His words echoed eerily in the dark room.
“Taboos, huh—”
Sharp-witted Barbara figured it out just like that.
What Alex intended to do, and what he had done.
“It hasn’t even been a year since I made the pact with the Demon. And yet, my magical power has grown to match that of a Duke.”
With a dark gaze, Alex spoke, his immense magic power flickering as if it were alive.
“During the raid, my power was insufficient to take down the Demon Lord. But now, I will undoubtedly reach the Demon Lord eventually…!”
He’s going to pile up taboo acts to reach that level?
His words carried a weight that would not let this remain just a fairytale. Even the finest elite, including Barbara, could not compete with Alex as he was now.
It became clear to her that Alex was intent on making the most of his position. No one would suspect the core of a Demon Prince was a human Hero. Not even Barbara had thought so.
Thus, without mercy, without hesitation, he wielded his blade against humans—lulling Demonkind into complacency.
And then, by committing the taboo of striking against former comrades, he had gained colossal strength…!
It’s horrifically rational.
Yet, that means…
“Alex…!”
Barbara, biting her lip, gazed at her former comrade turned Demon Prince, and then narrowed her eyes at the forbidden entity behind him.
“Hehe…”
The demon grinned a chillingly decadent smile, her eyes shimmering with every color, reflecting the chaos and immorality of the universe…
Even though Barbara was supposed to be a mere spirit, she felt goosebumps crawling all over her body.
“You…!”
What have you done? What have you made Alex do!?
He’s not the kind of man who could do something like that easily!!
How much suffering do you think this man will have to endure in the process!?
“…!!”
But—gritting her teeth, Barbara swallowed her curse. She had no choice but to choke it down.
Knowing full well what that meant.
The grim reaper that brought despair to Barbara and her companions was—
Also the only ray of hope for humanity…
“Our deaths… weren’t in vain… were they…?”
Barbara asked, squeezing her voice out desperately.
“Ah.”
Nodding earnestly, the shadow savior’s eyes flared with resolute fire.
“It wasn’t in vain. I won’t let it be…!”
Ah… A sigh that sounded almost like relief slipped from Barbara’s lips.
She was certain. If it’s him, he can do it.
Even with his quirks and silly moments, the Hero she once knew, who had been dependable on the battlefield, seemed more than capable of fulfilling this task.
Surely, he would one day drive that shining holy sword straight into the Demon Lord…
She felt relieved. Overwhelmed by a flurry of unexpected events and information, her head went numb, teetering on the edge of disappearing into nothingness.
But.
“—You still have something to do.”
Her father and brother’s words resurfaced, and Barbara barely managed to hold on.
That’s right. There was still a fundamental question.
“…I roughly understand the situation. So what?”
With renewed determination, she stared at the young Demon Prince who used to be a legendary Hero.
“What’s the point of explaining this to me?”
What did he want from her?
He couldn’t have just called her here to apologize, could he?
“I will kill the Demon Lord. And I’ll kill the Demon Nobles too.”
With a savage grin reminiscent of his former Hero days, Alex declared.
“I plan to break the Demon Kingdom’s backbone from the inside out. If I do that, the kingdom will tip over by itself, but still, it won’t fall in a day. There are just too many foes in the Demon Kingdom that need killing—greater demons, undead, devils, and night elves. I can’t handle them all on my own.”
Barbara suddenly laughed. …Finally, we’re getting to the good part.
“I’ve learned necromancy. I can keep you as an undead in this world. I don’t know whether it’ll be in a few years or decades, but when that day comes—”
Their gazes locked.
“Will you cooperate with me?”
She didn’t know what she could do.
Being undead might even mean losing her Sword Saint powers.
—Even so.
There’s no way she could just let it end like this!
“I’ll take you up on that offer.”
Barbara smiled.
Like a flower blooming.
Sharply, like a finely polished blade.
“…Thanks. And once again, I’m truly sorry.”
Once more, Alex bowed deeply, resting his forehead against the floor.
“Let it go. We’re friends, after all. Plus, even if you apologize now, it’s too late!”
“I have no words left. Really…”
“Just remember, if you fall before we kill the Demon Lord, I won’t forgive you.”
“…Yeah!”
Alex nodded vigorously, but—
“Ahh… but now there’s just one person left…”
He exhaled, seemingly relieved yet still weary, letting out a sigh.
“What? One person, what’s that?”
Barbara tilted her head, and Alex looked awkward.
“…I tried to summon all the people I killed to apologize to them…”
Casting a quick glance behind Barbara, Zilbagias did.
When she turned around, bones, swords, weapons, and furs formed an overwhelming pile on the floor.
“Uh-oh.”
And as if suddenly remembering, she realized that the ancestral unicorn helmet lay at her feet.
“…The only one who could have a proper conversation, believed my words, didn’t vanish until the end, and could be turned undead—was you, Barbara…”
“Ehh.”
With everything else, came the stark realization that she had never noticed before.
