Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss

Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss – 107

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A Hero barging into the office of a powerful Duke in the Demon Realm—already an astonishing twist. But the Hero wasn’t alone. Beside him stood none other than the Demon King herself.

This alone was enough to send waves of disbelief through the room. Yet the real shock came when the Demon King spoke, her words landing like a thunderclap.

“The Hero and I have decided to join forces.”

Reltra froze in place. It felt as though her very soul had cracked, mirroring the brittle sensation of shattered glass.

The Hero. The enemy of all demons. The mortal foe they were duty-bound to destroy at all costs.

And now, her sovereign was suggesting an alliance with this sworn adversary?

‘This can’t be real…’

But as Reltra scrutinized the Demon King’s expression—her calm demeanor, the weight behind her words—there wasn’t a single hint of falsehood.

Her confusion was etched across her face, so much so that the Demon King tilted her head and smiled.

“Why the long face? Is there a problem?”

Snapped out of her daze, Reltra quickly shook her head and replied with as much composure as she could muster.

“N-Not at all, my King. It’s just… this is the first time I’ve heard of a Demon King proposing an alliance with a Hero. I was… caught off guard, that’s all.”

The Demon King chuckled lightly, brushing it off as though it were nothing.

“Really? But you didn’t seem so bothered when those lesser Dukes thought they could challenge me for my throne.”

“That… that was…”

There was no defense she could offer. No matter how much the Demon King’s decisions had been questioned, it was unthinkable for any demon, let alone a Duke, to covet her position.

“Anyway, back to the point. I’m planning to unify the Demon Realm with the Hero’s help, and afterward, we’ll pool our strength. What do you think?”

What did she think?

‘It’s absurd. Ridiculous. Impossible.’

Of course, she couldn’t say this outright. Instead, Reltra decided to frame her argument around what she saw as an undeniable flaw in the plan.

“My King,” she began cautiously, “the Hero seeks the salvation of the Human Realm, while you seek its destruction and conquest. Your goals are fundamentally opposed. I fear that such a partnership may inevitably end in catastrophe.”

Though her words were tactful, the meaning was clear: This alliance is doomed. You’re better off sticking to the old ways.

The Demon King, however, merely nodded, her calm demeanor unshaken.

“I know.”

“…Then why—?”

“Because the Hero’s goal is the destruction of the world. Just like mine.”

“…What?”

Reltra’s thoughts ground to a halt.

The Hero—a champion of humanity—seeking the destruction of the Human Realm?

It sounded like a cruel joke, a nonsensical statement akin to saying a goblin could slay a dragon.

“Surely… you’re joking, my King.”

“Why would I joke about that? I’m completely serious.”

“… … …”

The Demon King’s words hung in the air, their weight growing heavier with every passing second. Reltra’s mind raced, desperately trying to process this revelation.

Two individuals who should have been natural enemies had somehow united, sharing a goal so catastrophic that its implications were impossible to ignore.

Not just for the Human Realm but for the Demon Realm as well.

‘If they truly combine their forces, they wouldn’t just be the strongest faction. They could unify everything. Not just the Human Realm, but the Demon Realm too.’

It was a thought so monumental that it left Reltra speechless. For the first time in her long life, she could not even begin to predict what might come next.

The Demon King’s casual declaration left Reltra no choice but to adapt. Faced with the realization that rejecting the offered alliance might spell doom—not for the Hero or the Demon King, but for himself—she quickly extended her hand in agreement.

“What do you require of me?” she asked, her tone resolute.

***

Jeong-hyeon watched the unexpected surrender with a mixture of amusement and disappointment. He had anticipated resistance and had even warmed up his wrists, prepared for a bit of physical persuasion. But instead of the fierce defiance his severe demeanor suggested, Reltra had folded immediately.

‘How anticlimactic.’

Still, he hadn’t entirely given up on finding a way to use his readiness. While he mulled over the wasted opportunity, Reltra spoke again, her voice even but cautious.

“I will do all in my power to support you both. Please, take what you need.”

“Thanks,” Shin Si-ah replied curtly.

“But,” Reltra continued, her hesitation palpable, “there is one concern, my King.”

“What is it?” Shin Si-ah asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I have no doubts about your strength, but as for the Hero… I have yet to witness his abilities firsthand. To ensure my full trust, I would like to test him myself.”

Before Shin Si-ah could interject, Jeong-hyeon grinned broadly.

“I’m all for it!” he exclaimed, cutting off her protest.

Reltra blinked, clearly taken aback by his enthusiasm, but she recovered quickly, bowing slightly. “I appreciate your understanding. As you may know, demons rely on proof. We cannot follow someone whose strength we haven’t seen for ourselves.”

Jeong-hyeon’s grin widened. Finally, a chance to put his earlier preparations to good use. Drawing his sword with a theatrical flair, he addressed Reltra directly.

“So, we doing this now? Or should we spice it up with a fight to the death?”

“P-Please, Hero, not here!” Reltra stammered, startled by his eagerness. “This is the duke’s office. A more appropriate place would be the training grounds.”

Jeong-hyeon sighed dramatically, sheathing his sword with a casual shrug. “Fair enough. Lead the way.”

Reltra gestured toward a crimson-painted door, and Jeong-hyeon wasted no time heading toward it, his steps eager and unhurried.

***

The training grounds were a spectacle unto themselves. The space was vast and grotesque, the ground soaked in dried blood and littered with broken weapons and shattered bones. The air carried the stench of decay, and the eerie silence seemed to press in on every corner.

Jeong-hyeon surveyed the scene with genuine admiration. “Not bad. Creepy as hell, but not bad. Might borrow the aesthetic someday.”

His musings were interrupted by the emergence of his opponent—a towering centipede-like beast. Its segmented body bristled with spikes, some still dripping with viscous black fluid. Its sheer size rivaled that of a small fortress, and its unblinking eyes radiated hostility.

Jeong-hyeon tilted his head, unimpressed. “So, where’s Reltra? Why’d she send this big bug instead of showing up himself?”

The creature responded with an ear-piercing screech, its spiked body rattling as it reared up.

“Right. That clears up absolutely nothing,” he muttered, rolling his eyes.

Reltra appeared moments later, her presence commanding even amidst the grotesque backdrop. She raised a hand, calming the centipede’s erratic movements, and spoke firmly.

“This is your opponent. If you can defeat it, your strength will be beyond question.”

Jeong-hyeon’s eyes lit up with something between excitement and mischief. “Fine by me,” he said, unsheathing his sword with deliberate ease. “Just don’t blame me if things get messy.”

Reltra’s expression remained unreadable, but her sharp gaze lingered on Jeong-hyeon, perhaps gauging his sincerity—or his sanity.

With the beast before him and his blade in hand, Jeong-hyeon stepped forward, his grin unshaken. The fight was about to begin, and for once, he was genuinely looking forward to the chaos.

Jeong-hyeon chuckled at Reltra’s words, a sound filled with mockery. A centipede, of all things, to test his strength? The thought was laughable. Still, he decided to play along, nodding in agreement.

Reltra’s lips curled into a faint smirk as she explained further.

“Do not underestimate it. This creature is my most powerful guardian.”

“Is that so?”

Jeong-hyeon replied, feigning interest.

“Yes,” Reltra said, her tone laced with subtle derision. “Truthfully, I doubt you’ll even survive, much less defeat it. But go ahead—prove your worth as a hero.”

Ah, so this is how it’s going to be.

Jeong-hyeon smiled to himself, silently vowing to make Reltra regret her smugness. With a calm but deliberate nod, she stepped forward.

“Fine. Let’s do this.”

Reltra’s sharp gaze lingered on him briefly before she turned and stepped back toward the sidelines.

‘You’ll regret this. Mocking me carries a price—and you’re about to pay it.’

The massive centipede loomed before him, its spiked body glinting ominously under the dim light. For a moment, Jeong-hyeon simply observed the creature, considering the most impactful way to dispatch it.

“Not hard to kill,” he mused. “The trick is how to make it look good.”

After a brief pause, he shook his head.

“Nah, let’s just stick to the classics.”

Brimming with confidence, he decided on a single, devastating blow. Pouring divine power into his sword, he calmly uttered the words:

“Sanctuary Declaration.”

***

From the observation platform, Reltra watched with an expressionless face, though her thoughts were anything but calm.

‘The Hero…’

The taunting tone she had used earlier was deliberate, meant to provoke the Hero into revealing his true strength. To predict the flow of events ahead, Reltra needed a clear understanding of the Hero’s power.

‘You can’t form plans without knowing the full extent of an ally’s—or a potential threat’s—abilities.’

Thus, she had set this entire spectacle in motion, pitting the Hero against one of her strongest guardians.

But when Jeong-hyeon unleashed his spell, Reltra’s carefully laid assumptions crumbled like dry leaves.

“Sanctuary Declaration.”

The sheer force of divine power that erupted in response was staggering, overwhelming. The brilliance of the light was almost blinding, its purity suffocating. It radiated with such intensity that it seemed the goddess herself had descended.

“No… this can’t be…”

Before Reltra could fully comprehend what was happening, the centipede— her mighty guardian, a creature ranked among the top ten most powerful beings in the Demon Realm—was utterly obliterated. Its enormous body was crushed into nothingness, leaving only splatters of viscous blue blood.

SPLASH!

The blood sprayed everywhere, covering Reltra in a sticky, foul-smelling layer. She wiped her face with her sleeve, her expression blank as she stared at Jeong-hyeon.

“…Monster.”

The word escaped her lips involuntarily. Neither the legendary Demon King Temera nor the old Hero Peke had possessed strength on this scale.

‘What could this Hero have possibly done to become so powerful?’

Lost in thought, Reltra found himself unable to look away from Jeong-hyeon. Then, as if sensing her gaze, the Hero turned his attention upward, locking eyes with her.

“Next,” Jeong-hyeon called out casually.

‘Next?’

Reltra’s mind reeled. The centipede guardian was supposed to be a nearly insurmountable challenge, even for the strongest. Yet Jeong-hyeon spoke as if the fight had been nothing more than a warm-up.

She opened her mouth to declare that further testing was unnecessary, but before she could speak, a sharp, searing pain shot through her shoulder.

“Guh!”

Reltra’s head snapped to the side, her eyes widening in disbelief. Jeong-hyeon stood right before her, his sword embedded deep in Reltra’s shoulder. When had he moved? How had he closed the distance so quickly?

Reltra stared up at him in shock. Jeong-hyeon’s grin was wide, and his eyes gleamed with a mix of mischief and menace.

“I said, next, didn’t I?”