DKFTI 11

“Why do you keep… are you maybe a masochist? Do you expect me to, torment you…?”

Sibel finally asked the question he had long been afraid to, lest he provoke him. At that, Aizen’s brow furrowed.

“Are you insane?”

He was angry.

“Then… could it be you have an in, interest in me…”

Sibel asked with disbelief. Aizen let out a dry laugh.

“Me, with a demon?”

“……”

Then why was his nose buried in someone else’s neck. Sibel still thought it was more on the perverted side and eyed Aizen with suspicion.

“Do you really think you have enough charm to outweigh my faith and duty?”

Sibel wanted to say, then let go of this wrist and prove it. But the ominous atmosphere around Aizen kept his lips sealed. He had only asked casually, but did it warrant this much anger? With such a fierce response, Sibel, who had been the one to ask, felt very embarrassed.

And it was far too harsh saying that a demon was not even worth liking at all.

“…Right. Of course, humans all hate me.”

His heart grew heavier. Perhaps the alcohol, which until now had refused to intoxicate him, was only now showing its effect. His chest swelled with emotion.

“Everyone hates me…”

Sibel’s eyes grew moist again. Water pooled at the rims of his eyes, and his neat white teeth bite into his lower lip.

Aizen suddenly realized something as he watched him. This had not been what he intended. So wrapped up in his own struggle, he had not considered the state of the Demon King in front of him.

When tears rolled down again, Aizen was flustered. Why did this Demon King cry so much?

But Aizen was not the only one unsettled. Sibel too, no matter how many times he went through it, could not get used to this roller-coaster of emotions. He did not like that he was showing tears again in front of the Hero.

If he kept showing weakness like this, then if anyone, everyone, came to kill him, he would have nothing to say in defense.

“Hey, what kind of man cries over something like this.”

“……”

At Aizen’s provocation, Sibel glared at him. Why had he come here just to grate on someone’s nerves?

“Ah, it’s nothing to be that sad about. Humans don’t even like each other that much. You think they only fight demons? Humans are the kind of bastards who can’t wait to tear into their own kind.”

Aizen spoke quickly to Sibel.

“Hm.”

Sibel mulled over his words. True enough, that was right. Were humans not a species that fought and killed each other over land, money, and honor?

The more he thought about it, the more it all seemed correct.

“So, stop with the tears. Ha, you’re like that, no wonder everyone sees you as food.”

“You see me as food?”

This bastard, so that’s what earlier… Sibel’s eyes were filled with disgust.

“That’s not what I meant. You just look like a pushover.”

“…That’s too harsh.”

“Anyway, don’t let that nonsense get to you. Just walk around with flowers in your head again.”

“Mm.”

Sibel lowered his eyes. His eyelashes dropped down. He bent toward Pudding, who was wriggling on the floor, and at that moment Aizen let go of Sibel’s wrist, not even realizing until then that he had still been holding it.

Using Sibel’s hand as a foothold, Pudding bounced up onto his shoulder.

“Now that I think of it, you’re right! Not everyone can like me.”

Sibel recovered quickly. Once something made sense to him, he was able to accept and take it in.

“I made a mistake this time, but it’ll go better next time, right?”

As if he had never cried, Sibel smiled brightly. Thinking about it, maybe wanting everything in this crazy world to go peacefully had been nothing more than greed.

The problem wasn’t that he was a Demon King. Humans were just naturally harsh and aggressive to everyone!

Maybe because of the alcohol, his mood quickly lifted and he laughed. Sibel laughed slyly. He looked like someone who had gone mad.

“Well, look at you.”

Aizen stared at the sudden flip in Sibel’s state with an incredulous expression.

At that moment, a ding—! sounded from Sibel’s pocket. He took out his crystal communicator to check it.

#DemonKingCommunity#

-Rules of Use

-Announcements

-No fraternizing, good deeds, or religious solicitation!

[Title: (Breaking) Who the fuck lololol declared war on the Holy Kingdom and the Demon Kingdom? lol

Content: lolol went to visit the Demon Kingdom and saw something hilarious. Someone sent ten Puresia flowers to the Demon Kingdom to kill the human king. The humans there flipped out and it was total chaos lolol

They were all screaming they’d kill whichever Demon King did it, who was it? lol

└Wow which Demon King was it? No brakes at all

└No wonder the Demon Realm’s been restless lately, maybe someone’s putting humans in their place?

└With that kind of boldness, it has to be a Demon King over a thousand years old right?

└OP, you still don’t know who it was?

└Sounds like a huge war’s about to break out

└So badass, maybe they’re gonna crush all the humans;;;; damn

└A small fry Demon King like me better stay quiet before I get caught in it

└(OP) The mages have lost it, they were gathering an army

└Which Demon King’s everyone betting on winning

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When Sibel read the post in the community, dizziness struck him. His lifted mood plummeted again.

…Ah, fuck. He was feeling depressed again.

The Holy King of the Holy Kingdom stepped over the corpse of the Puresia and made his way to the prayer chamber.

“The sender was the new Demon King of Valheim.”

“If it is that Demon King, did not Apostle Aizen go there recently?”

“That is correct.”

The Holy King’s aide spoke as he opened the door to the prayer chamber. Entry was permitted only with the Holy King’s permission, and inside were seven candles.

“Why would the Demon King there do such a thing. Perhaps… Apostle Aizen has died there?”

He had left saying he would either find the cure or kill the Demon King and die in the process. Aizen was someone willful, unpredictable in many ways.

Though the Holy King cherished him, Aizen was also a troublesome figure who often voiced dissatisfaction with the rigidity of the Kingdom’s system and doctrine.

“He has not died. If he had, the Apostle’s candle would have gone out.”

The Holy King spoke while looking at the seventh candle, still alight.

“Only… it wavers precariously.”

There was not a hint of wind, yet the seventh candle flickered slowly.

“It does not seem that he killed the Demon King. Perhaps he has strayed elsewhere?”

“He is a free spirit. If we wait, an answer will come back.”

The Holy King washed his hands in holy water to prepare for prayer.

“Then how shall we handle this matter?”

“They will not have sent it expecting an answer. Let us observe a little longer. Should we not first determine what intentions the other side holds?”

“Then I will begin by confirming Apostle Aizen’s whereabouts.”

Purified in body, the Holy King closed his eyes. The prayer began.

***

“Why has our Demon King become such a wreck!”

Ruru found Sibel sprawled on a bench in the Demon King Castle garden with a face in tatters and hurriedly ran to him.

“…What a beggarly life.”

“Eeeeh?”

“I’m going to die. I’m going to die.”

“Whaaat?”

Sibel was deflated, yet Pudding, clinging to his shoulder, was happily bouncing around as if it was using his shoulder for a slide.

“Why are you like this. Are you still depressed because of those humans?”

“The mages are coming to cut off my head…”

Sibel muttered like someone who had lost his mind. His state was serious.

“Don’t dwell on such trivial things! If it’s humans, I can block them all for you!”

“…Can you win even against an Apostle?”

“Mm.”

Overflowing with bravado, Ruru suddenly avoided his eyes and looked off into the distance.

“As a demon exceptional even among the high ranks…”

“Can you beat an Apostle or not?”

“Using dirty tricks, or not?”

Ruru asked with serious eyes. At that moment, Sibel realized that this one had no confidence to win in a fair fight!

“At least the mages won’t cut my throat with a sword, right?”

“But they do like burning people alive.”

“That would be even more painful, wouldn’t it?”

“Probably about the same?”

What’s death?

He had thought it was the start of a sweet life of immortality, but the life of a Demon King was nothing like he imagined. To think he had to live constantly worried about his life.

“I died once, so why couldn’t I die twice…”

“Why are you so steeped in defeatism!”

“They say everywhere that I declared war.”

“That community again? I told you to quit it already.”

Ruru gave him a pitying look. But even then, Sibel was holding his crystal communicator, checking the community’s reactions.

“You look like a junkie drowned in dopamine.”

“But! Look at this yourself! Is this right? Everyone’s expecting it! They say a hero of the Demon Realm has appeared! That it’s the age of heroes and warriors! I’ll become a laughingstock if it comes out that I sent it.”

“So before it gets revealed, are you planning to bite your tongue and die?”

“Who said I thought of that!”