CH 90

Chapter 90 : Confrontation

T/N: Happy valday everyone! Even if you are single, double or triple, I don’t care, I just hope you have a great time today! ✽-(ᵒ∀ᵒ˵❁)/✽

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The worst thing ever was happening right now.

It was the most hopeless situation I ever imagined.

In the screen projected in Maou’s Castle hall, there was Velke in his demon form and Killa standing face to face.

The overwhelming difference of power was apparent even through the screen.

“W-what should we do… V-velke is going to die… He-He’s going to be killed…!!”

I grasped on my pale face with both of my hands.

Velke actually had faced Killa once or twice before but Velke was adorned in his human disguise all that time.

But… The current Velke that had appeared in his original form to save Mist, a dark elf child, was undoubtedly a 『demon』through and through.

The Hero’s eyes, which were burning from both his bloodthirst and spirit’s power, were looking at Velke as an opponent he had to slaughter.

What to do? What should I do?

Taking Killatur, the strongest Hero ever, is still not possible for us, demons.

“At this rate, it will be only a matter of when for the Hero to find Maou’s Castle. We need to take refuge soon….”

“We can teleport the children by using the magic circle inside the castle. The problem lies with the unhatched eggs in the『Fountain of Life』. The eggs won’t be able to last long if we take them out of the spring….”

“Then I will….”

“No, even if you go, you won’t be able to buy us enough time….”

The situation was tense and the demons kept on discussing in panic but not a single good plan came to the surface yet.

“This is bad… Either way… Velke won’t be able to make it here…”

Yes, at this point, it is highly unlikely we will be able to rescue Velke when both of them are already prepared to fight.

The situation right now was different compared to when we met the Hero in the forest a little while ago.

My hands were shaking.

What should we do…. What should we do….

―― Just when we were at the end of our ropes….

『Don’t kill my father!!』

Lucis, one of the Velluclesis children, who was supposed to be hiding behind the bushes, came between both of them with his arms spread apart. 

『Lucis?!』

The air was shaking from the unexpected turn of events.

『He-Hero! Rather than my father, I’ll be your opponent! 』

『Lucis! I told you to hide!!』

『No!!! If… If I let things be… Father is going to get killed!!』

『Lucis! Step aside!』

『No!! Father, you… Maou-sama needs you much, much, much more than me!!  That’s why… You absolutely can’t die here!!』

『You… What are you talking about….』

『Hero… Please, I beg you…. Take my life and… Let my father… And my family be…』

Killatur, whose eyes had been burning with fighting spirit and held his stance with his holy sword like a taut bow, could only stand there in astonishment as he saw the scene unfold.

No matter how you try to distort your view, this scene couldn’t be mistaken as anything but a 「father」and 「son」mutually thinking about each other’s life.

“Why….”

Demons are sly.

Demons are human’s enemy.

Demons are the blight of the worlds hence, their existence is not needed.

That’s why the Hero has to defeat the demon, in order to save the world.

For a demon to have an urge to protect their family… That kind of thing is simply unthinkable.

Or so it was.

The distance between me and the Hero was too far, even though I could see his figure on the screen, I couldn’t hear the voice of his heart. 

But, had he been the old Killatur, he wouldn’t be showing any hesitation like he did now.

Just by looking at his expression, I could clearly see it.

When I saw him looking bewildered, I made up my mind.

Had he been the Hero that I first saw, the Hero who was the saviour of humanity, he would have already slain both Lucis and Velke and just skimmed this scene as nothing but another cunning trick the demon would use to trick humans.

But…

If it was the current Killatur then…

“Everyone.”

「「Maou-sama!!」」

“I’m going to go.”

“Wha-What?! You can’t, it’s too dangerous!!”

“Rather than Maou-sama, I’d…”

“I will face the Hero. I will settle everything here. Not with force but with my words. Not through bloodshed but through conversation I will…. Get the Hero away. As everyone’s Maou, I command you all… No matter what, ‘do not harm the Hero’.”

「「What?!」」

“Collin, disarm the traps.”

“…..Are you sure?”

“Yes. Everyone else too, you have to follow the order I just gave. It’s a royal decree.”

「「……… By your will………」」

Collin had already placed various treasures as well as mimics, steel traps and all other kinds of traps for the humans. 

I had him deactivate all of those traps.

The other demons surrounding me seemed to oppose the idea of me going out to face the Hero but they could do nothing but follow my order.

We evacuated the children into the innermost corner of the castle and began to fly commands for every demon who was not in the castle to return at once.

I ordered the demon to wait here and by using the coordinate Velke had left, I used magic to teleport to their location.

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The first one to notice my presence was Velke.

“?!”

The coordinates I got teleported me behind Velke and Killa.

Maybe Velke noticed something was amiss or he simply noticed the presence of another person behind his back.

While Killa turned his face over his shoulder.

“………………..”

(Mao-tan…? No, but this presence….)

Surprise, confusion, and then…..

Despair.

“Killa onii-chan… No, Killatur….”

“…. I’ve never felt the presence of a demon coming from you but….. There’s always this faint, lingering scent of a demon on you.”

“That’s right.”

“It was faint so I thought it must’ve been my mind playing tricks on me but…. I never thought…”

“I see….”

“Hey, the blue haired demon over there. Please tell me this is just one of the demon’s cunning tricks. Tell me this is just an illusion in the shape of my most precious person so I’d drop my sword. Tell me this is one of your cowardly tricks.”

“………. As a proud member of the Velluclesis tribe, I will never do such thing.”

“I see….. No matter what… This presence… As the Hero, I knew… He is… Mao-kun is…”

The eyes which had been blazing with fighting spirit were no more, in return, despair came floating to the surface.

“Yes. This is the first time we’ve met in this form, Killatur.”

Although his face was painted with a pained expression, there was still a glimmer of hope but…

With my next words, I annihilated all of his hope away.

“I am Maou.”

The current Hero and Maou had finally come face to face against each other.