"No possibility that those three would betray us?"
"That's right."
"Why do you think so?"
"Because the plan to take down Zeranium was mine. It succeeded because Cineraria and Amaranth cooperated. If their battle was a sham, they would have killed Zeranium on their own before I proposed my strategy."
"I see..."
"If Zeranium is alive, it's all the more reason to trust those three and keep them close. As long as Amaranth is with Shion, Zeranium doesn't stand a chance."
"Rather, it's worse for us to become paranoid and cause infighting among ourselves. We should trust each other and cooperate."
"Indeed, you are correct."
"So, we shouldn't keep Zeranium possibly being alive and the loss of the Time Sword a secret. Instead, we should inform everyone and be on guard. For example, we should avoid acting alone and always move in groups."
"Understood. Today, I will summon all saintly sword wielders to discuss this matter and devise countermeasures. I would appreciate it if you could also attend."
"That's fine, but... I don't think I'm needed anymore."
"What are you saying? You are the only person I wanted to discuss this matter with without any hesitation. I believe everyone else feels the same, don't they?"
"Then, let's also call Shion to the meeting. I don't want to think about a scenario where Shion is left alone while we're discussing, and Zeranium targets her at that moment."
"Understood. Then..."
As Platanus stood up from his chair and bowed to me, he left the room.
Watching his retreating figure, I somehow felt that our usual life was about to resume.
Unexpected and troublesome things keep happening, but there are also many reliable people around to help me.
Feeling this usual premonition, and thinking that somehow everything would work out, I reached to brush my slightly grown bangs aside when,
"...?"
I felt something foreign on my head.
I felt something like a lump on my head, a foreign sensation.
Standing in front of a mirror, I tried to check the size of the lump.
Instantly, I was speechless in front of the mirror.
Horns were growing from my head.
No matter how many times I looked, they were definitely horns.
Still buried under my hair, they didn't stand out much, but they were unmistakably horns.
Too sharp to be a lump.
A monster. A demon. The kind of sharp horns that you'd expect on demons or dragons were growing out of my head.
Horns on the head, wings on the back, and the body shrouded in black mist.
I remembered the characteristics of the Demon King that Holly had taught me, shivering all over.
The reflection of me in the mirror was pitiful.
My lips turned purple, and my face was pale.
I watched as the color drained from my face, becoming utterly white.
So agitated that my face turned pale, it seemed.
Despite the chills, I couldn't stop sweating.
So terrified, so utterly panicked, and yet, am I supposed to be the Demon King?
"A bit late, but are you ready? Shall we head to the Demon King's castle? Even if you're not, we're heading to the Demon King's castle, you know?"
Behind me stood a woman, Maris, identical to Holly.
"Can I write a letter...?"
"Sure, but what, you want to write 'I am the Demon King~'? Who would read that without bursting into laughter?"
"It's not like that..."
"To Cattleya Instructor,
By the time you're reading this letter, I won't be near you.
I can't tell you why, but I have a place I must go to and a role I must fulfill.
I won't be in this world after the Demon King's resurrection.
I won't be in this world after the Demon King is defeated.
You might not understand what I'm saying, but I leave everything to you.
Please guide Shion and the others.
It's not because you're the oldest that I'm asking you.
It's because you're the only one I can ask.
Please don't try to find me after I'm gone.
Please have Shion and the others focus on defeating the Demon King.
"In case it's necessary, you can lie and say that finding me will be possible after defeating the Demon King.
Perhaps I should have deceived you as well.
But it's pointless to search for me after the Demon King is defeated.
Please don't waste Shion's time looking for me.
I hope everyone will be happy in a world without the Demon King.
Please enjoy the peace you all have won together.
Goodbye, Instructor.
Please guide Shion not just to victory, but to happiness.
From Crow, the least capable of your students."
I handed the letter to a maid who happened to pass by, asking her to deliver it to Cattleya Instructor.
"By now, you know resistance is futile, right? Move to a high place with a good view."
"Okay."
As I responded emotionlessly, Maris seemed satisfied and disappeared.
I didn't understand why she disappeared from my sight at that moment until,
"Brother?"
Shion called out to me, and then I understood.
I can see Holly, the spirit dwelling in the Holy Sword, visible only to the hero, because I am the Demon King, whose identity is intertwined with the hero's.
Thus, Maris, the spirit in the Dark Sword, visible only to the Demon King, should also be visible to the hero.
Maris didn't want to show herself in front of Shion just yet.
"Um, brother..."
Recently avoiding me, Shion approached, but I didn't want to show her the horns growing from my head and couldn't face her.
It might be the last day I could see Shion and Holly's faces.
"I'm a bit busy right now. Let's talk later."
Leaving Shion behind, I started walking through the castle's corridors.
Thinking of a high and clear view, I headed to the castle walls, where soldiers stand guard in times of need, and reached a spot overlooking the capital.
In the end, it seemed I was continuously helped by those around me but couldn't defy my own fate.
I was born to be killed by Shion and Holly.
I had been protecting those meant to kill me all along.
"Was there a divine being orchestrating this situation? If so, their sense of humor is too cruel.
But now, I understand why the Demon King keeps losing to the hero. Some invisible, great force seems to be ensuring the Demon King's defeat.
The horns growing out of my head are getting longer moment by moment, and my mind feels strangely sharp. At the same time, the fear and anxiety I've felt over the past month are fading.
Is this how I cease to be human?
...I guess it doesn't matter anymore."
Am I too focused on fearing my own death, ignoring what's truly important?
Holly and Maris, twin spirits. The hero and the Demon King, visible to each other, forming a pair. Their relationship seems like that of a savior and a destroyer.
But if Holly and Maris are sisters, does that mean the same person created both the hero and the Demon King? Was the battle between them a rigged game from the start?
The nonsense Zeranium once spoke is starting to seem real. The hero and the Demon King are two sides of the same coin. One exists because of the other. Will the world know eternal peace when both are gone?
"Who created the hero and the Demon King..."
"Brother..."
While pondering on the castle wall, Shion stood nearby. She had followed me, despite my cold words to leave her behind. I turned my back to hide the horns from Shion.
"Shion, now's not..."
"Brother!"
Shion hugged me from behind.
"Wait for me... Where are you trying to go?"
Shion has a good intuition. But whatever I say now, it's too late. No, it's been decided since the moment we met.
"Brother, I... I have something to tell you..."
"Everyone calls me the hero, but you've always been my hero, Brother. You've always protected me."
"I wanted to protect you, too... But I never seem to manage it right. Why is that? I always end up being protected."
"But, you know, I'm really happy to be protected by you. I shouldn't feel this way, but every time you protect me, I feel so happy."
"So... will you keep protecting me? I'll protect you too. Let's always be together."
"If you're with me, I don't need anything else..."
"Shion."
I interrupted Shion's words.