The day after the Demon Lord revealed everything in the basement, the two were face to face in the Demon Lord's private room to exchange information once again.
However, their discussion hit a wall just a few minutes after it began.
"You know, constantly referring to you as 'Demon Lord' is getting weird. What's your actual name?"
At the perfectly reasonable request of the girl, they both tried to introduce themselves...
"...I've forgotten my name."
"...Excuse me?"
"It's been centuries since anyone called me by that name..."
To the astonishment of both, the Demon Lord had forgotten his name, something one would normally find unthinkable. The girl was shocked by the Demon Lord's circumstances of being so isolated that he forgot his own name. He seemed embarrassed by the oversight.
Reflecting on it, the Demon Lord had forgotten most of his memories from his original world. He couldn't even recall his family's faces or names. However, he did remember areas of knowledge, especially in science and mathematics. This was likely because he had incorporated such knowledge when creating his original magic. He vaguely remembered being Japanese, or at least was reminded of it when he saw the girl, but all other memories were hazy.
This was no different than amnesia. The Demon Lord couldn't help but sigh at his own predicament.
"...For now, let me introduce myself."
Breaking the tense atmosphere, the girl began.
"My name is Kogure Yuuka. Just call me Yuuka. I'm Japanese, like you."
"Kogure Yuuka, huh? Sounds very Japanese."
"Got a problem with it?"
"No, just feels nostalgic."
Reminded of his homeland by just the sound of a name, the Demon Lord realized he still had some human aspects left in him. Chuckling in self-derision, he pondered his own name.
If he couldn't remember, he'd have to come up with a new one. It was his fault for forgetting in the first place. However, thinking of a name from scratch was harder than he thought. He felt like parents trying to name a newborn. He was almost ready to just stick with 'Demon Lord' when his eyes met with Yuuka's.
"How about... Izayoi?"
"Why?"
"It reminds me of dusk or evening, just like your name. After dusk comes the night."
"Hmm, not bad."
Yuuka nodded as if convinced.
"Well then, nice to meet you, Izayoi."
"It's a bit strange for a Demon Lord and a hero to be on such friendly terms."
"You're hung up on that? I don't even know if I'm a hero, so it doesn't matter."
"That's true."
"Anyway, back to the main topic."
Yuuka shifted the conversation.
"I wanted to confirm something with you. Is it true that you invaded the human continent only once?"
"Yes, I did it once centuries ago in anger, destroying a few cities. I haven't stepped out of this castle since then."
Though the Demon Lord made a bold declaration of his reclusiveness, it was the truth.
After that rampage, Izayoi had become like a broken machine, just waiting to defeat any hero that approached. Before then, he didn't even think of harming humans.
Upon hearing Izayoi's account, Yuuka frowned slightly.
"That's strange. When I was summoned at the royal castle, the history I was taught claimed that the Demon Lord has been raiding cities actively for the last hundred years. I've even seen towns and villages said to have been destroyed a few years ago."
"I don't recall any of that..."
"I know you're not lying. But there are many victims. And there are reports of attackers with monsters claiming to be the Demon Lord or his subordinates."
Yuuka might not have witnessed it personally, but it was too hasty to dismiss her information. However, it was true that Izayoi hadn't left his castle. So...
"There are two possibilities."
Izayoi raised one finger.
"First, rogue demon tribes acting on their own. I have a suspicion about this."
"A suspicion?"
"Yes."
Izayoi nodded and sighed with a look of annoyance.
"I tried to form a friendship with humans."
That effort had been fruitlessly crushed by a holy sword.
"But, even if I am the Demon Lord and once human, not all demon tribes agreed with me. Especially those who looked down on humans, they refused to acknowledge me as their leader."
He had managed to suppress those rebels with force, but at some point, they stopped resisting. Maybe they were waiting for a hero to defeat him. Now, Izayoi couldn't detect any of those demons' presence.
"It's possible that the remnants of the opposition set up a stand-in Demon Lord or stirred things up, expecting the hero to defeat me. Either way, I wasn't aware of it."
He was admitting his own irresponsibility. Even Izayoi felt a tad regretful about his negligence.
"What's the second possibility?"
"It's purely speculative..."
Izayoi raised another finger.
"A human conspiracy."
The temperature of Yuuka's gaze dropped significantly at that.
"Don't get mad. It's just a possibility, without any basis."
Izayoi tried to soothe her, and Yuuka calmed down slightly. After regaining some of her composure, she responded. "But there is a reason, isn't there?"
"Not really."
Reasons vary from person to person. It could be due to a misguided faith, personal desires, or grudges. The negativity of humans knows no bounds.
Furthermore...
"Don't you find it strange? Even after hundreds of years, knowing full well there's no chance of winning, humans still summon heroes to confront me. I don’t get it."
Izayoi, who had previously abandoned such thoughts, only now realized how bizarre the situation truly was.
Struck by this realization, Yuka grumbles and contemplates.
"That's true, but..."
Yuka didn't want to believe that humans were at odds with one another. However, lacking any concrete evidence to support her beliefs, she eventually screamed out in frustration.
"Ugh! Arguing here won't solve anything! It's quicker to go back and check for ourselves!"
Such impulsiveness was extreme, even for her. Izayoi instinctively massaged his temples.
Yet, paying him no mind, Yuka seemed ready to bolt from the castle right then.
"Hold on a moment."
Izayoi briskly walked over and grabbed Yuka's arm, tossing her onto the bed.
"Ow! What do you think you're doing?"
Yuka promptly sat up and protested, but Izayoi continued without acknowledging her outburst.
"What's the point of rushing in without a plan? If a hero, who has never once returned, suddenly comes back, who knows what could happen?"
"Then what should we do?"
"I have an idea, but..."
What Izayoi was considering would inevitably require both him and Yuka to venture to the human continent. In itself, this wasn't a problem. Having involved her this far, he couldn't just sit idly on his throne. However, Izayoi hesitated to leave the castle. More precisely, he couldn't bring himself to part with this place, a testament to the time spent with everyone.
Noticing his hesitation, Yuka didn’t press the matter.
"I'll think of something myself," she said, murmuring to herself about cutting her hair, which made no sense given its black color. Not catching this detail, Yuka seemed a bit naive.
Laying on the bed, engrossed in her own world, Yuka left Izayoi leaning against the wall, gazing up at the ceiling.
What he saw was a ceiling so dilapidated that he worried it might crumble. Still, he had a deep affection for this castle that had stood by them all this time.
He had no basis for this feeling, but he sensed that if he left this castle to accompany Yuka, he'd never return. It felt like saying goodbye to this castle and to the memories of everyone from the past.
Having clung to the past for so long, could he really move forward now? He deeply doubted it.
A self-deprecating chuckle escaped his lips.
As his mood darkened the more he pondered, in stark contrast, the sky visible through the window was clear and unblemished.