Yuri Hero and Loli Demon King - Chapter 03-2

“Demon King! I’ve come to defeat you in the name of justice!”

In the Main Hall of the Demon King Castle, a young man shouted these words.

His heavy armor and massive sword were stained blood red, indicating he must have slain thousands of monsters before invading.

“Why?” I asked, puzzled.

Why is defeating me considered justice?

Why is killing my companions considered justice?

How can you claim to be just?

What is justice? Yui didn’t understand, not at all.

“Because you’re the Demon King! You’re evil!!” he accused loudly.

Why am I deemed evil for being attacked?

Why am I considered evil for losing my companions?

Why aren’t you considered evil?

Is it just because I’m a demon? Just because I’m the Demon King?

Because I’m the Demon King… I remember he said that too…

♀ ♀ ♀

After a devastating battle, only the girl and her father remained among the ruins.The war was known as the “Sidoa Great War,” a massive conflict among demons, humans, and other races. It was the largest racial war in the history of the Sidoa Continent—no, in the history of this world.

By the end of the war, the demons’ capital, Kroaishivia City—also known as the Demon King Castle—had fallen, turning to ruins beneath the young girl’s feet.

The young girl couldn’t comprehend it all, blankly staring at the ruins and corpses.

—Why?

A question arose in her heart.

—Why?

Again, she questioned.

She kept asking herself but couldn’t find an answer. Was it even possible for her to answer such questions? She was simply too young to understand these things.

Unable to answer her own questions, she turned to her father beside her and asked, “…Father, why did people attack our city?”

“Because I am the Demon King!”

With a commanding aura, the man replied confidently, exuding a sense of overwhelming pressure just by facing him. Yes, he was the former Demon King—Yui’s father.

However, this answer did not satisfy the girl. She still couldn’t grasp it.

“Because you are the Demon King, humans will attack us?”

The girl asked again, “Father, you haven’t done anything bad to them, have you?”

Despite carrying the title of Demon King, this ruler did not invade other races. Unlike typical Demon Kings, he didn’t even harbor the childish and meaningless ambition of “conquering the world.”

But so what?

Can one live peacefully just by staying out of trouble and not harming others?

The ruins seemed to mockingly ridicule the Demon King’s ignorance, as he realized too late that humans weren’t as benevolent as he’d thought, already having lost everything around him.

He sighed deeply.

“‘Different races have different hearts,’ humans typically hold this belief. Therefore, they do not treat non-human beings equally and may even treat them maliciously.”

Those who truly possess the ambition to conquer and dominate this world… are actually humans!If that ambitious definition of “the greatest evil” is what humans use to define a Demon King, then clearly humans should consider turning on each other first, since most of them fit their definition.

Viewing the whole world from their own perspective? Anthropocentrism?

Utterly ridiculous!

“Isn’t Father upset by this?”

The frail girl beside him interrupted the Demon King’s indignation. He stopped pondering over national grievances and familial vendettas, gently placing his thick hand on the girl’s head.

Gazing at the endless corpses, at the twisted faces of once friends and comrades, the girl recalled the past, unable to hold back the tears that streamed down her cheeks.

Seeing this, he reached out to wipe away her tears.

“You can’t be so soft. You will inherit the title of Demon King in the future!”

“Because I’m a Demon King, does that mean I can’t cry?”

The girl’s voice was still sobbing and trembling: “But Yui is so sad…”

“When you’re sad, just smile.” He told her, “Laugh, laugh madly, use madness and laughter to cover up the weakness in your heart!”

“I can’t do that—!”

With trembling, tear-stained hands, the girl clung to her father: “When I’m clearly sad, I can’t just laugh, Yui can’t do it…!”

“It might be difficult at first, but you’ll find it gets easier.”

He unclasped her small hands clinging onto him, as her dependence on him made her seem too vulnerable.

“If it’s you, you’ll definitely be able to do it!”

He turned and left. She wanted to call out to him, but she was already crying too hard to speak, only able to kneel and cry alone on the ground.

“Because you too are…” he left with only these words.

“A Demon King!”

♀　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　♀　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　♀

In front of her, a fully armed young man raised his sword, ready to fight at any moment.

“You just said, I’m evil?”

Yui smiled slightly; even when sad, she couldn’t cry, she could only smile.

At least in this castle, I cannot shed any tears. As long as I’m here, as long as I am the Demon King, I’m not just “Yui,” but “Lupamoroy.”

In this royal city, I carry the dignity of all past Demon Kings, so I cannot cry here, cannot trample on the honor of the demons.

Suppressing her emotions, she tried to ask calmly, “Then if you who killed my comrades, aren’t you evil?”

“This is justice!”

That was the response she received.

Because it was justice, yet he never mentioned what justice truly was.”Yui hasn’t done anything wrong. Can wanting to kill Yui still count as justice?”

If killing me is justice, then what is evil?

Yui doesn’t understand, truly doesn’t understand at all.

“Hah, spreading deceitful words! Who knows what terrible things you’ve done in secret?”

After the young man spoke, he swung his sword.

“Yui really hasn’t done anything!”

Why won’t you believe me?

“You think I will be fooled by such lies?”

With each sword strike, I only dodged, never fought back, even though I could easily kill this person, even though I desperately wanted to avenge my comrades…

But if I retaliate, won’t the enmity between demons and humans just continue? I don’t want this cycle to go on; I want it all to end here.

“Altor!”

A girl who seemed to be a mage arrived at the Main Hall. After calling the young man’s name, she cast a powerful spell.

Hearing his name, the young man immediately withdrew, and the magic hit only me.

Due to my anti-magic nature, I wasn’t hurt much. But as I brushed away the smoke caused by the spell, the young man’s sword technique appeared before me.

There was no time to dodge. The moment I realized, I felt a sharp pain in my left shoulder, leaving a deep bloody mark. He was probably aiming for my heart, right?

What kind of hatred makes someone want to kill me to this extent?

What did Yui ever do to you all? No, Yui has always been good, always, always…

Then why, why am I hated, despised?

Is merely existing enough to make people hate me this much?

Does everyone hate Yui?

It feels so sad, I want to cry…

“Haha, hahaha…!” For the first time, laughter escaped me.

It hurts so much! Not the physical pain, but the emotional pain, everything from the past until now is so painful!

It’s so painful… I just want to laugh!”Hahaha—!”

The laughter was indeed that of a Demon King.

“This guy… has he finally revealed his true nature? Demon King!!” the girl shouted as she unleashed another powerful spell of light magic.

True nature?

Is this my true nature?

‘When you’re sad, just laugh.’

I’m so sad! So much pain, Father!!

‘Laugh, laugh maniacally, use madness, use laughter to conceal the fragility in your heart!’

I can’t conceal it, my tears are about to overflow!

It hurts so much, I just want to cry out loud!!

‘Because you are also…’

I am…

‘A Demon King!’

…

“Hahaha—!”

Unleashing all the Magic Crests, I completely dismantled that light magic. Unable to withstand the clash of the two magics, the young man crumpled to the ground, his insides ruptured.

“Altor!!” the girl cried as she rushed over to catch him.

“Koro, you must escape…”

That’s right, run away, get as far from Yui as possible. Don’t come near me again.

“How could I possibly leave you and run away?!”

“This guy is too powerful… you must go!”

“What a joke…” the girl said, putting him down and facing me, she shouted, “I will definitely avenge you!!”

Her eyes were filled with intense anger and terror.This isn’t Yui’s fault at all. If I hadn’t done this, I would have been hurt. The one in the wrong is the one who attacked.

But why? Why look at me with such eyes?

Revenge, is it revenge against Yui?

You humans can seek revenge, but are we only expected to tolerate you?

Is it because we’re monsters? Because I’m the Demon King!?

You can avenge your own, but who will avenge my father? Who will avenge my companions?

Who will avenge me!?

“Don’t get so full of yourself! Humans!!”

What do you understand?

What do you comprehend?

What could you possibly understand about me!?

You keep talking about guilt and sin! But in truth, you’re more sinful than I am!

It’s ridiculous! So ridiculous that it almost makes me laugh to tears!

So ridiculous that I actually…

started to cry.

I look up, trying hard to hold back the tears in my eyes because this is the Demon Castle, and I am the Demon King. A Demon King must not cry.

At least not in front of other monsters, because I… am the Demon King…

Author’s note: This illustration shows the former Demon King, who is Yui’s father.