“Who’s there…!? Show yourself!!”
Killian unleashed her magical power as “intimidation,” glaring at the forest with killing intent.
The last time she felt such dread was when she first met the Demon King and that old man, Geass.
But the dread she felt from those two was that of living beings.
Not just magic and violence, but the intellect and schemes to wield them. The resolve to kill even one’s own parent to achieve a goal, the indifference to death—it sent chills down her spine.
That was why Killian acknowledged Hevrat as the Demon King.
It wasn’t just power. She acknowledged Hevrat’s “resolve” as a king.
But… this was different.
This wasn’t the dread one felt from a living being.
For example, among the past Heroes, there were rare individuals like this. Heroes who, without resolve or pride, gained power and killed their humanity to save strangers. They became mere slaughterers, feared even by the humans they protected, and were eventually killed by their own people.
Killian felt that this was the dread of something “no longer human.”
As Killian’s intimidation and killing intent filled the air, the beasts behind her began foaming at the mouth and collapsing. That’s when the presence revealed itself.
“…What… is this?”
Emerging from the forest’s darkness like a cutout was “golden hair” and an “apron dress.”
Moving gracefully through the uneven terrain without swaying, the figure emerged in the dappled sunlight, revealing a black long dress and the figure of a young girl.
A beautiful girl with platinum blonde curls gently swaying, still bearing traces of youth.
Clad in high-quality work attire, she walked silently, her hands clasped in front of her waist, looking like a maid or servant to a noble.
Though she seemed terribly out of place, her expressionless face and icy blue eyes spoke volumes—this girl was no ordinary human.
“A child? A girl…? A Saintess? No, that’s not it… Those eyes aren’t a Saintess’s. Could it be… Are you the current “Hero”!?”
At Killian’s shout, murmurs spread among the monsters.
A Hero who had lost their humanity, becoming a mere slaughterer to kill demons—was this doll-like figure before them truly such a being? Killian shuddered.
In response, the girl slightly furrowed her well-shaped brows, tilted her head, and spoke softly.
“Greetings, everyone. I am Tina of the Gorgon, serving a certain noble.”
Unfazed by the hundreds of thousands of soldiers before her, the girl named Tina pinched the hem of her skirt and gave a slight curtsy.
“…You’re joking. ‘Gorgon’? A name I’ve never heard. Is that the name of the country you belong to, Hero?”
The earlier chill Killian felt made sense if the opponent was the “Hero.” But at the same time, Killian felt anger for being frightened and glared at the girl. Tina, however, simply tilted her head again.
“No. It’s just my race name.”
“I see… So you’re saying you’ve already ‘stopped being human.’ But I won’t accept that! The Hero is the natural enemy of us monsters, the one the Demons must defeat. Hero Tina! I, the Black Princess Kilian, shall slay you and claim the honor!!”
Hearing the declaration of the Demons’ division commander, the leader of monsters, the subordinates who had been trembling in fear at the name “Hero” now roared with battle cries, their fighting spirit ignited.
“Why…?”
Tina, who had only been told to observe and had forgotten to ask what exactly she was supposed to observe, had been conducting a reconnaissance mission. Being called the “Hero” made her tilt her head in confusion.
“Lady Black Princess! If we are to slay the ‘Hero,’ leave it to us!”
Before Tina could correct them, the situation escalated on its own.
“You lot… Fine. Show me what you can do!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
With Kilian’s permission, several men and women leaped out from the ranks and charged at Tina.
They were among the elite of Kilian’s demon division. Few of them still resembled humans, and among them were giants and even high-ranking monsters like manticores who could speak human language.
They were strong. Their pride matched their strength, and they sought the honor of slaying the Hero. Kilian thought they would make good test subjects to gauge the Hero’s power.
Kilian hadn’t given up on killing the Hero herself. But Tina, the so-called Hero, was far too eerie to face head-on.
A Hero who looked too young, a beautiful girl who had lost all traces of humanity.
She appeared to be just a human. But the unsettling aura around her, the inability to discern her true nature, suggested that perhaps, as she herself claimed, she was no longer human.
To uncover the source of this eeriness, Kilian decided to throw her subordinates at her.
If they could defeat her, then so be it. Kilian didn’t need such trivial honor, and if her subordinates succeeded, it would still be a victory for the demon division.
“Attack!”
At Kilian’s command, five of the demons (excluding the manticore) lunged at Tina simultaneously.
A man with a wolf-like appearance and scales. A woman with wings on her arms. A one-eyed giant. A large man covered in thorns. A red-skinned woman with horns…
All of them were recognized as fierce warriors within the demon division. If anyone other than the Black Princess could defeat the Hero, it would be them. The demons cheered.
But──.
“──────!?”
The five demons were simultaneously pierced by “golden threads.”
As the threads vanished in a spray of blood, the five fell to the ground, and Tina was left holding what appeared to be a bloodied piece of flesh.
Disgusted by the unnatural color of the “internal organs,” Tina frowned and tossed them aside. In that instant, the manticore, which had been preparing to attack while using its comrades as decoys, was struck by the organs at supersonic speed and blown away, reduced to a mass of flesh with a smirk still on its face.
In the stunned silence that followed, Kilian’s voice trembled as she spoke.
“You… What did you do?”
“…Oops.”
I messed up. I should have taken my time, like my beloved master, to make it more… elegant. But my lack of self-control got the better of me. Tina’s expression remained blank as she inwardly scolded herself.
“Impossible…”
But Kilian was in no state to care about that.
This was clearly beyond human power. Beyond even the power of a Hero.
Is this the power of a “true Hero”? Does a Hero, stripped of emotions and reduced to a mere killing machine, become this strong?
Or…
If, as she claimed, she truly is no longer “human”…
“……Kill her!!”
Kilian screamed, trying to drown out her own fear.
Monsters obey stronger monsters. It is this nature that allows the Demon King to command them.
Kilian’s fear shook her very soul, and in her terror, she forced her subordinates to fight, desperate to eliminate the enemy before her.
The demons and monsters roared like beasts as they charged.
Tina narrowed her eyes slightly, and her pupils glowed with a “crimson” light. In an instant, hundreds of demon soldiers turned to stone.
“Kill her!!”
Kilian’s voice was hoarse as she screamed.
The demon soldiers surged forward like a dark avalanche, only to be turned to stone one after another as Tina calmly approached. Kilian, with all her strength, swung her serpentine tail at Tina.
Is this really a Hero?
Is this what the power of a Hero is?
It can’t be.
Then what is this “horrifying power” being wielded before me?
An unknown power… an unknown being…
Ignorance is the most terrifying thing of all.
“──Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?”
Kilian’s tail, which had once sent even a giant elephant flying with a single strike, was easily caught by Tina’s small hand. With a swift chop, it was severed in half.
Terrifying. Horrifying.
Kilian, having lost all will to fight and even her pride, tried to scramble away. But Tina gently cupped her cheeks with both hands.
“H-help…”
“Ah, right, I forgot to correct something.”
Kilian’s tear-filled yellow eyes reflected Tina’s form as her curly hair transformed into countless snakes. Her eyes, now completely crimson, stared back at Kilian’s terrified face.
“Let me reintroduce myself… I am Tina, a ‘Gorgon’ created by the Goddess of the Demon Realm.”
The Goddess of the Demon Realm──with those words, Kilian understood her true nature.
“…An ‘Archdemon’…”
“Yes.”
Tina crushed Kilian’s head and collected her soul. As the remaining demons, freed from Kilian’s control, began to flee, Tina snapped her fingers.
“Everyone, it’s time to work.”
With those words, hundreds of “Greater Demons” emerged from the shadows of the forest, their twisted smiles directed at the pitiful weaklings trying to escape.
──Offer your prayers of gratitude to the “Master” who provides our daily sustenance──
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
“Eurushia-samaaa~, your snack is ready!”
“Oh, Fanny. What’s today’s snack?”
I was studying in my room at the mansion in the royal capital when Fanny brought in a tray with my special snack.
…Even demons have to study, or their grades will drop. Especially me, since I’ll be heading out at ten years old with my entourage to subjugate demons. I need to finish my assignments before then.
But it’s fine! My loyal servants always prepare special [snacks] for me during these tough times, and I always look forward to them.
What’s♪ today’s♪ snack♪ gonna be♪?
“Today, it’s grilled eel!”
“Oh…”
Is that really a “snack”? My inner Westerner is starting to wake up, but grilled eel is innocent, so I pick up my chopsticks and dig into the oversized bowl of grilled eel over barley rice…
“Oh, it’s delicious. This isn’t actually eel, is it?”
“Tina said she hunted a big snake~”
“My! Snakes are tasty, aren’t they?”
Come to think of it, I haven’t heard back from Tina about her reconnaissance mission. I wonder how it’s going…?
TLNOTE:
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