I Was Abandoned by the Demon King I Served for 10 Years

Chapter 13

The Hero raised his head.

His blood-stained face was filled with despair. Faced with an overwhelming gap in power, he was utterly defeated. However, he was not the kind of man to break simply by witnessing Durin's strength.

"Ah, there is no future... with demons..."

Worry for the Human Realm that would lose its Hero. His love for the world where he was born and raised was immense. That was why he could not accept his broken self. He struggled to resist, even if just a little more.

"I am a protector. I... will never die like this... here."

Even though his shattered body screamed in agony, his eyes remained alive. He growled as if he could swing his sword at any moment, but there was no threat. His missing arm and broken sword were not relics that would return through sheer willpower. Moreover, the voice from the heavens that had supported him could not properly reach this place, the Demon Realm.

"Even after being betrayed by the Demon King and abandoned by the heavens, you still refuse to let go of the thread."

It was not mockery. Durin was genuinely impressed. Indeed, it was a sight befitting humanity's strongest warrior. The sense of duty he bore as a protector faintly resembled the burden Durin carried for the Demon Realm.

"I will speak honestly. I will not let you die."

"Cough! Wh-what are you saying..."

"It means I see value in you. Become the cornerstone for the Demon Realm."

"Nonsense."

Kael cut off Durin's words in one stroke. He burned with his final resolve. He squeezed out the last remnants of his dwindling Holy Power, igniting his fighting spirit. Flames flickered from his broken body, using the Hero's own flesh as fuel.

"I will never give it up. Not a single thing!"

The act of surrendering the Hero's body to the Demon Realm. He clenched his teeth as if to prevent even that. Even as his entire body burned, he glared directly at Durin. Despite death looming before him, Kael's determination shone even brighter. His broken body began to regenerate under the influence of Holy Power, and his cracked voice returned.

At the very least, Kael's end allowed him to maintain his form as a warrior, not as a corpse.

"Are you speaking of the comrades you could save?"

If Durin's words had been spoken carelessly, Kael would have been reduced to ashes with honor.

Comrades. That single word shook Kael's heart. Beneath the duty he bore as a Hero and the noble conviction of being humanity's protector, a hidden part of his heart surfaced. The final image of Eily flashed through his mind like a lantern.

Rage surged within him. Hearing such words from the one who had shattered his party made it impossible to contain his anger. In that moment, he felt the bitter sting of his own inadequacy, unable to punish Durin. His self-loathing twisted and erupted outward.

"You'd better shut your mouth. That's not a name you can speak so carelessly."

"Your spirit remains strong. Among the defeated, you will be remembered as the bravest."

"Durin!"

"Death in battle is inevitable. The moment you failed to defeat me, the outcome was decided. However, as the victor, I am offering you an opportunity. Hero."

"An opportunity?"

"Yes. An opportunity. The only chance to turn everything back to before you faced me."

"......."

"If you choose to survive here, I will tell you how to save all your comrades. I will help you reclaim the honor that would otherwise be forgotten in the Human Realm."

From the black armor came a dreadful sound, like metal being scraped. Normally, he would have despised the Demon’s whisper, but now it felt as sweet as forbidden fruit.

"Save them?"

"That woman can return to you in her human form without any tricks. As a Great Demon, I guarantee it."

As his body, touched by flames, began to fade, his mind grew increasingly chaotic. Memories long buried in the depths of his past began to resurface.

-Kael. Let’s go on a journey together.

The mage who had died with a broken neck came to mind. A comrade born in the same village who had traveled with him. He had promised her a beautiful end as a member of the Hero Party. He had never imagined such a miserable fate.

"Don’t make me laugh. I won’t be deceived by a demon."

A black shadow passed by, and the blue World Tree flickered in his memory. An elf he had met there smiled at him.

Her name... Yes. Eliya. A noble bloodline that had abandoned the laurel crown of the elves to venture outside. Though her individual combat skills were not exceptional, she always radiated a bright energy, lifting the party’s spirits....

"Never... to a demon...."

In his fading consciousness, within the vanishing world of his mind, he heard the hearty laughter of the dwarf warrior. The dwarf extended his hand to the Hero, vowing to stay by his side no matter what. It was the duty of a brother....

"Never...."

His eyes closed. His body, pushed to its limits, could no longer endure. The fleeting spark of Holy Power was his last. The Hero finally lowered his head. The blazing power that had burned so fiercely also began to fade. The faint warmth it emitted would not last much longer.

"A Hero consumed by a simple illusion... This, too, is worth recording in history."

Durin, who had been silently watching Kael, rose to his feet.

"The choice was never yours to begin with. Whether you like it or not, you will be part of my plan."

The Demon smiled. Crimson magic energy rose around him like a shimmering haze. The weakened Hero’s body was a tempting prey. The Holy Power Kael had drawn out to the very end was gone. Even as Durin placed his hand on Kael’s body, there was no resistance.

Crackle-

Crimson magic flowed into the Hero. The body, barely clinging to life with the last remnants of Holy Power, greedily absorbed the new energy. In his unconscious state, the instinct to survive thrashed wildly. Durin gave it all without hesitation.

The Hero was shown a new possibility within the Demon Realm.

Step! Step! Step!

"Your Excellency."

As Durin finished his work, the Golden Royal Guard, who had approached unnoticed, saluted. They stood guard around the ruined temple, awaiting Durin’s orders.

"The Demon King has departed. Your assigned mission is indefinitely suspended."

"Then we will follow you, Regent."

"Stop wasting time with unnecessary formalities and go retrieve the Hero Party. It doesn’t matter whether they’re alive or dead."

"Are you planning to take them to the castle?"

A senior soldier asked. He seemed concerned about the rejection of the Hero and the chaos that might erupt if they were brought to the Central region.

"I will form a contract with the Hero. Since the details have not yet been finalized, have him stay at my quarters until his body recovers."

"What about the rest of the party?"

"Put them in the same room as the Hero. If they’re managed separately, they’ll fall prey to blind Demons."

"Understood."

Though doubtful, they responded with action. The Golden Royal Guard carried out the orders without a word.

The broken mage, the shattered elf, the unconscious Hero, and the fallen dwarf.

Every fragment of the party was carried away by the Demon soldiers. They would wait for the next moment to come.

"Your Excellency. We will depart as soon as preparations are complete."

Only one task remained. The cleanup of the Southern region.

It was time to return to his legion, stationed at the path leading to Rock Mountain.

#

"...That was undoubtedly His Excellency."

The aftermath of the battle swept through the South. Though stationed three days’ walk from Rock Mountain, the grand waves of power could be felt on their skin.

The true power of the one who ruled the Demon Realm.

The aura emitted by the strongest Demon opposing him.

The unpleasant energy of the Hero mixed in here and there.

Verdia, who was born and raised in the South and prided herself on being a great Warrior, found herself suffocating for the first time. Even when she faced her father, the Great Chieftain, it wasn’t like this. It was not mere pressure but a force that drew out submission from within.

Some were already overwhelmed with emotion, their heads pressed to the ground. The soldiers' fighting spirit pierced the heavens. Even the late night could not stop them.

The King had departed. The long remnants of the Warp that left traces in the sky mocked them, but it didn’t matter.

Their hearts were already filled with a new Demon. The loyalty that had left found its rightful direction.

The image of the Regent fighting against the Demon King and the Hero without yielding an inch came to mind.

Even without witnessing it directly, the overwhelming crimson aura told them who stood on the final battlefield.

The fleeing woman would no longer lead them.

"General! I want to go out immediately! Let me break formation and cut off that Rebel’s head!"

"Should we be doing this when the Regent will return soon?"

"Ugh! Ughhh! I’ll kill them all!"

The Dullahans banged on their armor in protest. Gripping their heated halberds, they looked ready to charge into the battlefield at any moment.

"Wait. Just a moment. Hold on."

But Verdia was the commander. Though her entire body itched to swing her axe, her position held her instincts in check. The duty Durin repeatedly emphasized kept her mind cool.

"It’s a force of 8,000. We can’t recklessly charge forward."

"You’re capable of judgment after all, Barbarian Verdia."

"Unlike you, I don’t just sit back and watch, coward Aurela."

Verdia glared at the Governor, who remained calm while everyone else clamored for war. She couldn’t understand how someone could remain so composed under such overwhelming energy, but one thing was certain: Aurela was in a better state to make rational decisions than Verdia.

For that reason, even as she threw out sharp words, Verdia didn’t cross the line. She didn’t want to stir unnecessary trouble before the next orders arrived. Perhaps sensing her thoughts, the Governor chuckled softly.

"Letting go? I’m merely holding the reins for a moment."

"Reins? I’m the one keeping them under control."

"Are soldiers the only ones in the world? I’m handling all the Southern nobles and commander-level Warriors. Surely you haven’t forgotten?"

"......."

In truth, Verdia wasn’t in her right mind and had momentarily forgotten. Not wanting to admit this aloud, she answered with silence. Aurela, with her characteristic composure, rose from her seat.

"But it seems the time is approaching. We should prepare."

"Prepare?"

"Yes. We can’t leave this fervor unchecked."

"But, until His Excellency arrives..."

"That’s why we must open the way even more grandly. We came here to conquer the South, not to wait for the Regent."

With those words, the Governor stepped outside the tent. Hundreds of troops were already gathered there.

They were soldiers who had engraved a new name in their hearts, not the name of the lost King. The tension and excitement in the air made the tips of their spears tremble. Aurela raised her voice before them.

"Brothers and sisters of the castle! The time has finally come! The moment to crush those who seek to take everything from us!"

As the commander of the Expedition Force, she shouted while looking at the soldiers.

"Legion! What do we fight for?"

"Honor!!"

"Honor? What honor is there when we’ve lost our King? Who do we protect honor for?"

"Durin! For our new master!"

"Yes! Let’s fight for His Excellency! We must sever the heads of our enemies!"

"Kill them!! Kill them all!!"

The soldiers’ responses grew louder. Their demonic instincts completely consumed them. Warriors of all races and origins banged their weapons together.

"Yes! Shout louder! That’s what the great Warrior watching over us desires! Crush them!"

Kill them!!

At the Governor’s cry, the Legion banged their shields and roared. Their golden eyes gleamed as they unleashed their fiery aura. Revealing their true demonic nature, they burned away all memories of past humiliation.

Aurela quietly looked up at the sky. Sensing that the time had come, the Governor drew her sword from her waist.

"The Regent is with us!"

The moment she cried out as if in a scream, a chilling wave of magic energy spread across the land, creating a powerful shock. It was a resonance. The soldiers’ hearts pounded as they prepared to follow their new conqueror, who would restore their honor.

In the pitch-black night, Durin’s power could be felt. The Southern Rebel Army awaited death on the other side. Against this backdrop, a voice awakened everyone.

"All troops, to your positions."

"Charge!!"

With Aurela’s lead, the Expedition Force charged toward the enemy.

"Durin!! My ruler!!"

"Aaaaaahhh!!"