Maou ~ Sou da, Yuusha wo Yome ni shiyou ~ Volume 1 Chapter 3

TL Note: Sorry for the hiatus, school’s been busy and it’s gonna get busier for the rest of this month so there probably won’t be very many releases, but I’ll do what I can! This chapter is a little bit unedited but I’ll fix mistakes and typos as I find them. Enjoy chapter 3.

Chapter 3

The hero party finally managed to easily arrive at the entrance to the audience room. Just before they had gotten lost trying to find the king's study in order to find a map of the castle, but as if it were leading them through, numerous unguarded doors extended forward and finally, before their eyes the entrance to audience room spread open.

That's right, behind those unleashed gates - sitting on top an enormous throne was the Demon King, waiting for the hero party to arrive.

Beyond a red carpet was the huge throne. In the middle of which, sitting widely on the throne was a young man, donning a jet black mantle. Dressed in black from head to toe - it was denouncing that this was the Diurnal Kingdom's King.

「As I thought, an ambus.h.!.+」

Before the entrance, Flint halted his advance. He furnished this sword and prepared to charge, but beyond the red carpet, the Demon King was simply resting on his chin, gazing at the party before him.

However, the four women lined up in a formation behind the hero raised voices of admiration once they saw the Demon King.

「Uwa…so cool.」

「Waa, soo dreamy.」

「A rather fine man.」

「Not bad…」

Flint swiftly inserted his retort.

「Nonono! It's the enemy! Don't praise him! Speaking of which, Lilia-chan, your tone is a little bit different than usual!? 」

Lilia's voice was at least five-tenths times more bubbly and sugary than usual.

The female company's eyes were s.h.i.+ning and glittering, completely ignoring everything Flint had to say.

After thinking that perhaps they've all fallen under some kind of magical spell, Flint finally turned and faced towards the Demon King.

「Urgh….」

— I lostttt!

Flint held a small amount of confidence in his appearance. With his big eyes, putting on a sweet mask he ascended into the position of a young commander, and was pretty popular with young women. If he were to attend a ball, women would certainly crowd around him and pester him for a dance.

However, the Demon King before him held a beauty he had never seen before.

His long jet black bangs covered one of his eyes and he held an air of listlessness.

His eyebrows under his bangs were dignified and fierce, his sharp eyes were deep crimson. Those eyes, just by meeting his gaze you would be startled by his wafting charm. On top of that, he had a finely shaped nose and firm lips, and you could tell that his body was thoroughly tempered just from the figure of his crossed legs. His legs that was covered by jet black boots were very long.

「So you've come, you light mages…」

With his light baritone voice, he swiftly broke the female company.

「Aahnn…!」

「Yahn!」

「Ha…」

「….nn」

All of them fell to the floor while covering their ears.

Flint had a shocked expression as he saw the spectacle, and then turned to glare at the Demon King.

「You b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Did you already use magic on us!?」

The Demon King raised an eyebrow and fixedly stared down at Flint.

Flint gazed at the Demon King's face with a cramped expression.

The Demon King looked like he was the combination of his eldest brother, who was the Athena Kingdom's most beautiful person and his second eldest brother who had the most beautiful voice. - No, he thought that perhaps the Demon King even exceeded their looks.

His brothers had blond hair and blue-eyes and looked like they were a prince of some country, but the man in front of him had a completely different air about him.

He had the composure of a supreme ruler of darkness, along with flawless looks and features. His brothers could not match up against that at all.

「…I can't see. Come here」

With an unmotivated voice, the Demon King beckoned.

「Eh? Ah…」

For a moment, Flint obediently complied and took three steps forward before once again putting himself on guard.

「Did you plan to strike while I was distracted!」

Flint put up his guard and surveyed his surroundings but there was no one in sight. There was a marvelously polished marbled floor. Dazzlingly light peeked through the ceiling, there was no one wearing a.s.sa.s.sin-like clothing. Flint kept watch in all four directions but there wasn't a single soldier to be found.

Behind the Demon King stood two soldiers clad in silver armor, but there weren't any signs of movement from them at all, as if they were just dolls.

And then standing beside him was a man in the prime of his life, dressed in a black robe. The man had white hair and red eyes, and he looked upon Flint with an extremely bothered look.

The Demon King sent a disinterested gaze at Flint, surveying him from head to toe.

「Fuun, so you are the hero Flint?」

「Wh…!」

Getting his name mentioned, Flint widened his eyes. The hero party's mission for the subjugation of the Demon King was top secret.

Wondering if someone had betrayed them, Flint deeply regretted. But the Demon King simply grinned and laughed.

「Alright. You came to kill me right? As a special one-time deal, I shall keep you company. Me, the Demon King! 」

The Demon King stood up. With just that, a sudden chill ran down Flint's spine. He was certainly much taller than Flint, his body structure was also much different, and Flint knew that. Becoming a commander, Flint had trained his body thoroughly, but even still, the Demon King was a full size over him.

His body wasn't just all bulky muscle, he definitely must have built his physique completely differently.

The Demon King calmly descended down the stairs.

Flint grasped his sword with both hands. His palms became slippery with sweat.

The Demon King gazed upon Flint with a look filled with charm.

「Ah that's right. Simply fighting is so boring. If you win, you get to kill me, but if I win, what will you give me? 」

「Ha?」

Flint couldn't wrap his head around the sudden question. His goal was the subjugation of the Demon King. Something like a condition for his enemy's victory was not considered. Dead or Alive. That's all he considered. And so, he furrowed his brows and doubtfully answered.

「If you win, all that means is my life is forfeit.」

The Demon King again raised an eyebrow and then let out a sigh.

Flint felt like he was making fun of him.

「Killing you, would be so boring wouldn't it? I won't kill you.」

「Then, it will be me who kills you.」

The Demon King smirked. This time he really laughed at Flint.

「There is no way you could ever kill me. Are you an idiot? You're just a commander cla.s.s in the Athenian army aren't you? If you actually came here thinking you could kill me then you are an unbelievable idiot. - Well, since you came here at all, then you must be an idiot huh.」

(Just how many times did you call me an idiot, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d –!?)

Flint was infuriated and raised his voice.

「Don't call me an idiot! Even as I am, I'm the strongest light mage of them all! 」

At the moment he shouted, the Demon King disappeared from right in front of him. Flint felt a burst of wind coming from behind him and when he noticed it, a man's hand was pressed on his throat.

「Urgh…」

— He moved from my shadow!

From Flint's feet there stretched just a slightest amount of shadow.

A sign was imparted next to his ear. Like lightning, a chill ran from his ear down to his spine.

Standing behind him, the Demon King spoke with a low voice.

「You think a light mage, could actually match up with me…?」

「…d.a.m.n!」

In desperation, Flint swung his sword behind him with his right hand, but suddenly the King's figure once again disappeared.

「Just now, if I had slit your throat, you'd be dead.」

The Demon King returned to his spot where he first descended down the stairs. Wearily brus.h.i.+ng back his bangs, he then crossed his arms. He lightly tilted his head, then looked at Flint and what was behind him.

「Your party are all women, so it that your tastes?」

He s.h.i.+fted his attention to the entrance. The slumped women who were on the floor all stood up with a blush on their face. They all stared at the Demon King with a spellbound gaze.

— Why doesn't he have any intent to battle us!

Flint was weeping on the inside. We are all the top five light mages of them all, even for the Demon King, it was supposed to be a hard fought battle. However, the current situation was that the female company had no will to fight.

The Demon King smirked mischievously.

「Is there one of your lovers among them or something?」

「「「「NO THERE ISN'T」」」」

The female company all raised their voice is denial.

— I want to cry.

Lilia-chan, I thought there was something good building between us.

The Demon King had a complex look on his face.

「Is that so… if you had a lover, then if I won, I thought it would've been fun to steal your women away from you but」

「You're the worst! Stealing away someone's women? Just how self-confident are you!? 」

Flint regretted after saying his piece. The Demon King had a bitter smile and with a prideful att.i.tude, he replied.

「Oh, I'm sorry. It just that, until now there hasn't been a single women who wouldn't yield to me, that's all.」

— Daaaaaamn itttttt! G.o.d is so unfair!

Towards that bitter smile, for the female company it was completely irresistible as all of them squirmed around.

「Someone like you, should just get it torn off!」

The Demon King's beautiful face was for an instant slightly down casted, he did not understand what was said to him, was the expression he had.

And then, he understood and noded.

「Ah, I get it. For you, the most disgraceful humiliation would be having your male function taken away, isn't that right? Flint.」

「Don't call me by my first name!」

Having his first name called as if they were intimate close friends made a vein almost pop on Flint's forehead.

The Demon King held a carefree and bewitching smile as he for the first time, unsheathed his sword that hung around his back in a flash. Seeing the glitter of the blade, Flint felt a chill run through his whole body.

The Demon King kicked off the ground, making a loud sound.

Flint opened his eyes wide, at the moment of the leap, he felt the activation of magic.

— This guy, he added magic to his movements…!

Using magic while in motion was an extremely advanced skill. Furthermore, using it to add to one's agility required an extreme amount of concentration.

As the Demon King flew through the air at ultra-high speeds, he plunged at Flint.

「Ku…!」

In just an instant the double edged blade had appeared right before his eyes, just before piercing his forehead, Flint repelled the enemy's sword. Thanks to the recoil, he tumbled to the ground to escape.

「Oh wow…your swordsman s.h.i.+p is pa.s.sable, seems like you can use it.」

The Demon King elegantly stood on the spot Flint was just a while ago.

Immediately fixing his posture, he prepares for another strike. On his left was the hero party's female company. The first one to come back to their senses was Ari.

Focusing her magic powers, she raised her staff. The tip of her staff started to gather light, but the Demon King was only looking at Flint.

「A great idea, Flint. It seems that you aren't affected by my voice as well.」

— Alright, he's focused only on me, we have a chance!

Flint purposely floated a foolish smile.

「I don't know what you're say! I don't recall proposing anything! 」

The King's black mantle gentled swayed. With a clack of his black boots, the King took one step towards Flint.

「However, your way of speaking is unpleasant. Looking at you, aren't you from n.o.ble parentage? 」

The light swelled up, growing to the size of a person's head. If that light were to directly strike, it'll be all over for the Demon King.

「So what. There are all sorts of different n.o.bles out there! 」

Flint's family was a Count household, but for him who was the third son, the court rank meant nothing to him. It would be his eldest brother or his second eldest brother who would be the one to succeed, in order to find employment, with the help of his second brother he started training in magic from a young age. However, he worried about whether or not he could find work with just magic, as anyone could become a magician.

That's why, he decided to see if he could succeed in the royal army, and diligently worked to climb up and became a commander. In addition to being a mage, he became a soldier.

For a soldier, their social status depended on their achievements on the battlefield, military might was most important. On such a chivalric stage, there isn't room or need for the flowery talk of the n.o.bles.

「Hmm. A n.o.ble huh. 」

At the same time the Demon King smiled with a grin, a blast of light magic flew from Ari's staff. The fired light energy moved faster than the speed of wind and just as it was on the verge of reaching the Demon King, it vanished without a trace.

「Eh…」

Flint reflexively uttered, while Ari was frozen in shock.

The Demon King laughed as if nothing had happened.

「What's wrong? What are you surprised about. Did you think I would actually get hit by light magic of that level? 」

「…You didn't even look at it!」

Influenced by Ari, the other three members of the female company also brandished their staves. In order to use a stronger offensive spell, she started to chant an aria.

The Demon King glanced at the women and uninterestedly spoke.

「『Soul of Sunlight』and then afterwards, 『Spear of Light』huh… If it was just three people, it'd be fine for me to take a hit but… I don't like feeling pain…」

Ari heard him say the name of the spells and even judged their effectiveness. A Diurnal mage who doesn't use light magic, shouldn't know the name of the spells.

「You…Why do you even know the name of our spells…」

The Demon King turned towards her and raised his sword to the sky.

「Scatter—-」

With just one word. At the moment he spoke that word, the light all escaped from the women's staves. Like the sound of rus.h.i.+ng water it was all pulled out.

「Eh?」

「How can this be?」

「How?」

The Demon King blandly responded.

「You people are truly a reckless and careless nation. Even as fearful of dark mages as you are, you haven't devised any counter measures at all. Well, in this world there isn't a place without shadows so it's understandable.」

「…What are you saying…」

The Demon King's eyes were not laughing. Lowering his sword, he bent to ground, and once again kicked off. The magic level was completely different from before.

「Uwa…! 」

Attacked by the wind pressure, Flint's body floated to the air.

Immediately invoking his magical powers, he s.h.i.+elded himself with a barrier.

The Demon King was in the skies. With his red eyes he gazed at Flint's face. A flash shone through the air from his sword as he thrust his sword down.

「……ku」

Jumping to the side to dodge, he leapt into the air.

— d.a.m.n it!

The Demon King's sword mercilessly piercing the marbled ground. Flint thought it would crack the ground but in the next instant, there was an explosion. The Demon King coated the tip of his sword with magic, while destroying the enemy's barrier, he could strike them. It was his habit to do so.

Flint clicked his tongue in his mind. Battling in the air was one of his weak points. To fly through the air you had to use magic, reading the enemy's attacks, receiving their blows and then counter-attacking all required the use of magic.

Preforming tasks that required heavy concentration, you would immediately be tired out.

The red eyes of the Demon King that just smashed through the ground beamed straight towards Flint. Hearing a sound of something flying through the air, Flint instinctively arched backwards.

「Oh my, you dodged it.」

The Demon King's calm voice could be heard from his surroundings.

His sword had mercilessly grazed his head, there was a light cut from the attack. His throat had a slight itch.

Floating just beneath him, was the Demon King's mantle. Jet black hair, and a jet black mantle. Staring into his eyes, were deep crimson pupils.

— The personification of darkness…

He had a strange thought. As he was fl.u.s.tered, sweat rolled down his forehead. He was incredibly disordered.

Flint grasped his sword tightly, putting in all his power he aimed for the Demon King and slashed at the sky. Did you not think I would rush towards you? Flint thought as the Demon King widen his eyes. With a loud clang, the sound of metal meeting metal reverbed through the air as sparks flew.

Meeting the sword's edge with his own, the Demon King looked into the eyes of the approaching Flint and let out a satisfied laugh.

「I will acknowledge your guts if anything.」

「Wha…!」

Together with those words, Flint's sword was knocked away.

Grazing his cheek, once he saw that he sword fluttered about in the air, Flint descended down with a carnal speed.

「Ah, I here I thought I had finally caught you…」

In the place where Flint's head was just at, was the outstretched hand of the Demon King. He looked down and spoke with a hint of enjoyment in his voice. Flint chased after his sword, and kicked off the ground. Before the throne, the sword seemed to have landed on the stairs, and Flint extended his arms to grasp it. In that moment, he thought 'Not good!' His hand that stretched out was completely defenseless. If the Demon King in the skies were to thrust with his sword, Flint's arm would be lost.

s.h.i.+fting his gaze, there he saw his red eyes.

「—-Ku!」

Clingg, a hard sound resounded.

Flint put priority on protecting his own arm. He released the sword that was in his hand and retracted both arms, one to protect his face, and the other, his heart. Along with the sound of his sword getting stuck into the ground, he rolled away hoping to escape, but at that moment he felt a strong impact to his stomach.

「Guaa…!」

Opening his eyes, he saw that his on his stomach was the leg trampling down upon him, along with the entranced look of the Demon King's face.

「It's Checkmate, Flint.」

In the Demon King's right hand was a sword. He raised his sword overhead, while Flint invoked light magic in the palm of his hand.

「Ah, so you were a『Staffless』huh…」

Not many magicians could use a lot of magic without the aid of a staff. He should have understood that from the battle just before, but the Demon King was surprised.

Flint used a magic to blow up his obstacle in front of him - and once he fired his『Light surge』, the Demon King was wrapped in a bright light.

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