"Where's the Holy Sword? I can't see Holly."
"Eh?"
"And where's Amaranth?"
"Um... I wanted to be alone with you, Brother..."
"You left the Holy Sword and shook off Amaranth to come to me?"
"Yeah..."
"Stop doing that, Shion."
"Eh?"
"It gives me a chance to win."
"Brother?"
Ah, fate's deity.
Making me do something like this.
You really have a bad taste!
"Brother...!?"
Shion seemed to finally notice the horns growing from my head.
I grabbed Shion by the collar and lifted her with one hand.
"Uh... ah..."
As Shion grimaced in discomfort, I stared at her while feeling my body, my head, my heart being painted in pitch black.
The sense of elevation enveloping me made the fear I had been drowning in unbelievable.
Ah, it fits.
It fits, fits, fits.
The past where I was trusted by comrades, loved by the hero, laughing together.
The days walking in the light, sharing joys and sorrows.
It all feels like nauseating memories.
Because, because, because that's right.
Shion's face contorts in pain, showing confushion towards me.
No, fear.
Seeing such a face, I couldn't help but realize.
I preferred to be feared than loved!
"Maris... stop teasing me. Give me the power."
"As you wish."
In an instant, darkness took residence in my body.
"Ah... I see... this is..."
Similar to when possessed by Holly.
But it fits much better.
Being possessed by Maris feels much more natural to my body than by Holly.
The power floods in without any sharp pain or fatigue like when Holly possessed me.
Without any restrictions, I gained power on par with the hero.
Of course.
I am the Demon King.
It's natural for Maris to fit well with my body.
"Brother..."
I realized I was still holding Shion by the collar.
I had forgotten.
Holding her was bothersome, so I let go.
I threw Shion off the castle wall.
Without the Holy Sword, Shion fell from the wall.
Instantly, someone leaped from below, caught Shion in mid-air, and landed safely on the ground.
I knew who it was.
Someone had been watching us, I was aware.
Amaranth, who had been watching us with the Holy Sword, seemed shocked when I threw Shion from the wall but quickly moved to rescue her.
From atop the wall, I gently landed on the ground, defying the laws of gravity.
Seeing me land so softly, Amaranth, who had handed the Holy Sword to Shion and drawn the Demon Sword from his back, shouted,
"Crow...? No, different! Who are you?"
"Disguise? I'm obviously Crow."
"Don't lie! Crow would never harm Hero Shion!"
"Look who's talking. You were trying to kill the hero with all your might before, now you're desperately protecting her? Perspectives change, actions change. It's natural."
"Brother..."
Shion, holding the sheathed Holy Sword, was by Holly's side as she appeared.
"As if... That can't be...!"
"Come on, Holly. Quickly possess Shion and get ready for battle. Your job is to kill the Demon King, right? Here's the Demon King for you."
"Crow...! Why you...!"
"The reason you, who are only visible to the hero, can be seen by me is this. The hero and the Demon King are two sides of the same coin. They're opposites, but they're also the same entity, sharing similar powers."
"Crow..."
Holly looked at me but didn't attempt to possess Shion.
Hey, hey, hey. That's cold.
We've always battled in chess, haven't we?
Well, by the time I started consistently beating you, a non-human, in a battle of wits, something in my mind was probably already off.
And now, my mind is getting all twisted.
It won't stop.
This thing called the urge to destroy.
"Huh? Maris? Your voice is so similar to Holly's, I almost got confused."
"Be careful, you're not at full strength yet, so don't rush into confronting the hero. And who is that woman...?"
Maris inside me seemed wary of Amaranth, who was ready with the Demon Sword.
"Quickly retreat. Even now, transporting to the Demon King's castle through space is..."
"Hero Shion! Stay back!"
Interrupting Maris speaking inside me, Amaranth shouted. The outer cloak that was the Rakshasa Sword transformed into armor, enveloping Amaranth's body. Then, the two-handed great sword, the Demon Sword, began to be enveloped in black lightning.
"...!? Using both the Demon Sword and the Rakshasa Sword!?"
"Don't freak out now. He's also equipped with a magical class sword, so he won't run out of magic during battle. He's currently being supplied with magic by Shion."
"Ha!? That's cheating!"
"Don't worry. Except for him, all the other saintly sword bearers only have one each."
"...Eh? Except for him, how many saintly sword bearers are there?"
"Eight."
"Why are there so many gathered!?"
Maris was freaking out, realizing the disadvantageous situation. It's a bit embarrassing. It's my fault for gathering them, and now we're in a pinch.
"Thinking you can harm the hero and live to tell the tale? Imposter!"
Amaranth appeared in front of me in a flash, raising the Demon Sword overhead.
"Ugh!"
Maris screamed inside me.
The Demon Sword, enveloped in black lightning, swung down toward me.
With a clang, the swing was halted.
"…?"
"…?"
Both Amaranth in front of me and Maris inside me didn't seem to understand what had happened.
"Well, I don't get it either."
I tapped Amaranth's armor lightly.
Instantly, Amaranth was blown far back to the castle wall. Though enveloped by the Rakshasa Sword, he shouldn't be dead, but after crashing into the wall, Amaranth stopped moving entirely.
"Ah...! Excellent...!"
I no longer need someone to protect me!
I can protect myself!
Because I am strong!
I am strong!
"Ha...haha...hahahahahahaha!"
I couldn't help but burst into villainous laughter.
Well, I am a villain, after all.
"Crow!"
After blowing Amaranth away, Shion raises her voice against me.
No, it's not Shion.
It's Holly, who has possessed Shion, calling out to me.
Shion, possessed by Holly, has grown to look about eighteen years old in an instant.
The Holy Sword she holds emits light.
Seeing that light, I...
"...Huh?"
It's so bright that it literally sears my eyes.
From my body, I hear the sound of flesh sizzling.
I feel excruciating pain all over.
I see. So, the light from the Holy Sword is this effective against the Demon King.
"Crow... Did you know from the beginning... Did you know and involve us in this?"
"Like I'd know. You dragged me into this mess. Before I knew it, I became the Demon King, just waiting to be killed by you guys."
"...Why... How did this..."
"How could you not have noticed that I was the Demon King? If you had, that would have been something. Using the Demon King to protect the hero."
"There's no way I could have known! I thought you were...!"
"Ah... Maris. No good. I can't hold on."
I turn my back to Shion and others and speak to Maris.
"I'm gonna die. I'm about to die."
"There's no helping it! We're transporting to the Demon King's castle!"
The moment Maris says that, a black mist appears before me, and the scenery around me changes instantly.
My surroundings have become dimmer than before.
"Getting injured like this all of a sudden..."
Maris, emerging from my body, mutters in dismay.
Looking down, I see my entire body severely burnt.
The parts exposed to the light of the Holy Sword are all charred.
However, the burns heal in a matter of seconds.
Indeed, I seem to fare better in places devoid of light.
Now fully healed, I look around curiously.
It's a familiar place.
This place is...
"Ah, yes. This is..."
The deepest part of the dungeon from which I, along with Cineraria and Jasmine, had escaped with their help.
I remembered because there was a throne-like chair.
Previously, when I had been sleeping in the royal capital, I found myself here when I woke up.
At that time, I wondered why I had suddenly moved to the deepest part of the dungeon.
Now I understand.
This room is the throne room that becomes the Demon King's castle.
As the place I would teleport to, it's quite appropriate.
Sitting on the throne before me and crossing my legs, I focused on healing my injuries and recovering from fatigue.