Beyond The Door

“An intruder?”

“Yes. A strange presence appeared suddenly on the top floor of the Demon Castle,” Stella explained. “I dispatched the guards, but they don’t seem to be any match for it.”

“…What kind of person is it?”

“It appears to be a demon in the form of a black mist… but I couldn’t see through it completely even with my Clairvoyance. It likely possesses considerable magical ability.”

“An intruder? That’s my cue!” Rilim shouted energetically. “As the Guard Captain, I’ll go take them down~”

“No, wait. If it’s an opponent Stella’s Clairvoyance can’t penetrate, it might be dangerous.”

I stopped Rilim.

“I’ll go too.”

“Then I shall accompany you as well,” Stella stepped forward.

…And so, the three of us made our way to the top floor of the Demon Castle. We proceeded down a corridor that curved gently.

Then—

Shiver.

Suddenly, I felt a presence that made my spine freeze.

“What is this feeling…?”

My hand felt hot. Looking down, the Demon Lord’s crest on the back of my hand was glowing faintly.

This is—!?

“My Demon Lord…?” Stella looked at me suspiciously.

“…No, I’m fine,” I said firmly. “Both of you, stay behind me.”

“No way! My job is to protect this castle and you, my Lord!”

“I also intend to be your shield if it comes to it.”

“I gratefully accept the sentiment.” I nodded to both of them. “But I want to protect you two as well. So, please obey me on this.”

“My Lord—”

“Besides, Stella, you know my stats, don’t you? After all, I’m the strongest Demon Lord in history.”

I grinned beneath my mask.

“…Understood.”

“…Fine.”

Stella and Rilim seemed to be convinced, more or less. As we moved further, we saw figures collapsed on the floor ahead. They were the demon guards.

“Hey, are you okay?” I called out to them.

From what I could see, there were no external injuries, but—

“Nnn… munya munya…”

“Zzz… zzz…”

“—Wait, they’re just sleeping?”

I let out a small breath. For now, I was relieved that their lives didn’t seem to be in danger.

“Five more minutes… five more minutes…”

“Wake up, all of you,” I said with a wry smile.

“A-ah, when did I…?”

“Th-this is… the Demon Lord…!”

The soldiers woke up with sleepy eyes. The moment they saw me, they all snapped into a rigid attention.

“What happened?” I asked, bracing myself.

There was a strange presence in the room ahead—behind that door. Someone was there. Someone with great power.

“We came here to repel the intruder…” one of the soldiers answered. “But as soon as we reached the door, our consciousness suddenly faded…”

“Exactly. Next thing we knew, we were asleep…” The other soldiers nodded.

“Understood. I’ll handle the rest.”

I stepped toward the door.

“St…!?”

Suddenly, my consciousness flickered, and a wave of drowsiness washed over me. I see—so this is what put the soldiers to sleep.

“Resist Wall.”

It’s a spell that blocks all status ailment magic, including curses, paralysis, poison, and mental attacks. The drowsiness vanished instantly.

“Now then… I’m coming in.”

I placed my hand on the door.

—In the next instant, the scenery around me changed completely.

“What…!?”

Startled, I looked around. I wasn’t inside the castle. All around me, a darkness like spilled ink stretched out endlessly. It was a space of pure black. Ahead of me, there was something even darker than the surroundings. Something like mist was stagnating there.

“I have been waiting…”

A muffled voice echoed from the black mist. An indistinct voice, neither clearly male nor female.

“Who are you…?”

The Demon Lord’s crest on the back of my hand was glowing again. I… feel like I’ve seen this thing somewhere before. Something inside me is telling me: I know this person.

“Follow… me…”

Though suspicious, I followed after it. Led by the mist, I walked through the darkness. I kept walking. I wonder if I had been walking for dozens of minutes.

“We meet again, Hero—no, Demon Lord Fried.”

Suddenly, the area before me brightened. The black mist converged and scattered.

“This is a space slightly shifted from the physical world. A space I created to speak with you alone.”

“Speak with me…?”

But I couldn’t see the owner of the voice.

“Over here, over here.”

“Huh? Where?” I looked around again.

“Good grief, I said I am right here!”

A strangely cute voice, like that of a little girl. The voice was coming from down by my feet.

“…Oh, there you are.”

It was a girl whose height only reached about my waist. It seemed she was just so short she hadn’t entered my line of sight. She had black hair reaching her feet and light green eyes with a mysterious glow. Her appearance was as lovely as a doll. The black robe she wore was far too large for her, hanging loose and baggy.

“Listen! Be amazed! Fear and revere me! My name is—Yurisha!”

“…Excuse me?”

“Surely, you… have not forgotten me?”

“No matter how I look at it, this is our first meeting… wait, Yurisha?”

I stared intently at the girl.

“That’s the same name as the previous Demon Lord.”

“Of course it is. I am the previous Demon Lord Yurisha. The one who once ruled this Demon Realm.”

The girl declared, puffing out her flat chest.

“No, your appearance is completely different.”

The Demon Lord Yurisha that Lyle and I fought was a bewitching beauty. She was a formidable opponent who manipulated powerful magic.

“She wasn’t a tiny little girl like this.”

“D-don’t call me tiny!”

Yurisha (?) snapped.

“So, what does the ‘previous Demon Lord’ want with me?”

Even if she is the self-proclaimed previous Demon Lord.

“Mumu, your reaction is far too casual.” Yurisha frowned dissatisfiedly. “I feel no respect for your predecessor at all… you insolent fellow.”

Well, she looks like just a girl… There’s not a shred of the Demon Lord’s majesty. Besides, the encounter was so sudden that I still haven’t caught up.

“So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?” I brought the conversation back to the main point.

“Umu.” She nodded and spoke. “I intend to bequeath it to you. The true—power of the Demon Lord.”