There Was a Cute Girl in the Hero's Party, So I Tried Confessing to Her: Daily Life at the Demon King's Castle
Youki used to be a mid-boss in the Demon King's army—right up until the hero's party stormed the castle and ended his boss's reign. But instead of finishing him off, the party's priestess, Cecilia, gave him a second chance at life among humans. And somewhere along the way, he fell for her. Hard.
So he did the only logical thing: he confessed. Dramatically. With a "I am the one who rules the darkness—" speech and everything.
She shot him down so thoroughly it echoed.
Now, six months later, You
There Was a Cute Girl in the Hero's Party, So I Tried Confessing to Her: Daily Life at the Demon King's Castle - A Captive's Wings, an Unreaching Hand
The taste of blood spread through his mouth.
Youki ran through the royal capital of Minerva by night. Only the sound of his feet striking the cobblestones echoed through the cold darkness. His short black hair clung to his forehead with sweat, and his deep purple eyes stared straight ahead.
(Wait for me, Happiness. I'm coming.)
Cecilia's attempts to stop him, Clayman's warnings—none of it reached his ears anymore. The words written on that scrap of paper—"It's hunting time"—replayed in his head over and over.
At the edge of the capital, the entrance to an abandoned mine shaft. The place where ore had once been dug was now somewhere no one went near. Each time the wind blew, the rusted mine supports creaked like a mournful cry.
Youki didn't stop. He plunged straight into the dark hole.
The instant he did—
A pale blue light raced across the ground beneath his feet.
"—gh!"
A barrier trap. Layers upon layers of magical threads sensed his intrusion and let out a shrill alarm. Kiiiiiin—it rang out through the entire shaft.
"Damn it!"
Too late. He'd been noticed. Youki ran deeper. In the darkness, torch lights appeared—one, then another.
"Hahaha, well, well, look at this."
A low, clinging voice.
Deep in the shaft, in a wide-open space, Mirror stood. He wore his imperial uniform sloppily, a well-worn short sword in his left hand. In his right, a small glass vial. The liquid inside sloshed thickly.
"Tripping the barrier—how clumsy. The prey comes flying into the trap all on his own."
"Mirror...!"
"Where's Happiness?"
Youki's voice was low, laced with killing intent.
Mirror grinned.
"Ah, that little harpy girl? She's right there."
Mirror snapped his fingers, and the torchlight illuminated the wall.
There she was. Happiness.
Her long silver hair was in disarray, the pale blue tips stained with blood and dust. Her golden eyes stared blankly at Youki. Her arms were suspended by chains, her back pressed against the wall. Her maid uniform was torn, countless cuts running across her white skin.
"...Lord... Youki..."
A hoarse voice.
"Happiness!"
Youki broke into a run.
"Whoa there."
Mirror downed the contents of the glass vial in one gulp.
In that instant, Mirror's body swelled as if inflating. Muscles bulged, veins rose to the surface. His eyes turned bloodshot, and foamy saliva spilled from his mouth.
Raging Syrup. A forbidden drug that stripped away reason in exchange for pushing physical ability to its absolute limit.
"—GAAAAAAH!!"
Mirror vanished.
No—he only seemed to vanish.
"Guh—!"
The next moment, Mirror's fist had buried itself in Youki's stomach.
He was slammed against the wall. The sound of rock shattering came from behind him.
"What's wrong? Is this all the former Demon King's subordinate amounts to?"
Mirror's kick gouged into Youki's side.
"Gah—!"
He coughed up blood.
"Don't come...!"
Happiness's scream echoed through the shaft.
"Please... don't come...!"
"Shut up."
Mirror walked toward Happiness.
"These wing scars—nice. You plucked them out yourself to suck up to the humans, didn't you?"
Mirror's finger traced along Happiness's back.
"Stop...!"
"A demon playing human maid. Makes me sick."
Mirror flipped the short sword into a reverse grip.
"STOOOOP!!"
Youki staggered to his feet.
"Your opponent is me!"
"Don't be so impatient."
Mirror turned around.
"I'm going to show you the finest spectacle."
The short sword slowly carved into Happiness's back.
"AAAAAAAH!!"
A scream.
Right through the scars where her wings had been.
"What a voice. The sounds demons make when they suffer—truly beautiful."
Mirror licked the blood-soaked blade.
Inside Youki, something snapped.
The scar of the crest on the back of his right hand burned like fire.
Anger. Hatred. Killing intent.
(I'll kill him. I'll tear him to pieces.)
Youki's eyes began to shift from deep purple to a dark, blood-red.
(If I turn into a monster, I can kill him. I want power. The power to erase him—)
Then—
"Don't forget the kindness you had when you were human."
Cecilia's voice echoed in the back of his mind.
(...Cecilia...)
Youki clenched his back teeth.
The taste of blood.
(No. If I turn into a monster here, I'll...)
The blood-red in his eyes slowly receded.
"Oh? You held yourself back?"
Mirror's voice.
"What a shame. I wanted to hunt you as a monster."
The next instant—
Mirror's short sword drove deep into Youki's abdomen.
"—kah!"
A sound that wasn't a voice.
Hot. His stomach burned like fire.
"You held back, so now you're just prey."
Mirror twisted the blade.
"GAAAAAAH!!"
A scream.
Mirror pulled the sword free.
Blood sprayed.
Youki crumpled to the ground.
"Lord Youki...!"
Happiness's weeping voice.
"Lord Youki...! Lord Youki...!"
Youki, sprawled on the ground, looked at Happiness.
Silver hair. Golden eyes.
(I couldn't protect her.)
The blood wouldn't stop.
(I... again...)
Tears spilled over.
(I can't protect anyone.)
"I'm sorry... Happiness..."
A hoarse voice.
"Are you crying? Oh, that's good. That expression—it's perfect."
Mirror looked down at Youki and laughed.
"Time to finish you off."
Mirror raised his short sword.
Then—
—OOOOOOOOOHN!!
From outside the shaft, a roar that shook the air itself.
"...What?"
Mirror's movement stopped.
"CAPTAIN!!"
A familiar voice.
"...Duke...?"
Youki's consciousness was fading.
"Tch. Interruptions."
Mirror clicked his tongue.
"I'll let you off today. But there won't be a next time."
Mirror vanished into the depths of the shaft.
Silence.
The smell of blood.
"...Lord Youki."
Happiness's voice came from far away.
"Sorry I'm late, Captain!"
The sound of armor.
"Whoa, these wounds are awful! Hold on, I'll get the herbs—!"
A boy's panicked voice.
In his fading consciousness, Youki felt the presence of his comrades.
(...You came.)
A single tear spilled down.
(Even so, I...)
He hadn't been able to protect Happiness.
That fact alone pierced his chest, cold and sharp.
"...I'm sorry..."
His final words reached no one, and vanished into the dark.
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