NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2
Demon King Bel Phegor.
Around 500 years ago, the fearsome Demon King who almost dominated the Human World.
A Dragon King who would cut off the necks of those who called themselves heroes and hung 108 corpses on the walls of the Demon King’s Castle.
Such a being ultimately fell at the hands of a Hero.
The Demon King, who was said to be the strongest of his time, and was on the verge of conquering the world, was defeated by the Holy Sword.
So, what is that Demon King doing now?
Nothing at all.
Nada.
He does absolutely nothing.
Huddled in the realms of the Demon World, he spends his days sleeping endlessly.
The Demon Race is immortal unless they are defeated, and no one dares to consider fighting Bel Phegor.
Bel Phegor possesses the strength to take on two Demon Kings alone.
Bel Phegor has the strength to take on three Demon Kings and perish with them.
If one were to attempt to kill Bel Phegor, at least four Demon Kings would have to join forces in battle.
And among them, at least 2 or 3 Demon Kings would die.
Despite having such formidable power, Bel Phegor has no interest in ruling the Demon World.
In the deepest depths of hell, where most demons wouldn’t dare to set foot, he continues to sleep and waste time.
Thus, the inhabitants of the Demon World have two contrasting evaluations of Demon King Bel Phegor.
A Demon King who reigns but does not govern.
A Demon King who was defeated by a Hero and lost all motivation.
He himself thinks of nothing at all.
How do I know this? Because I am Bel Phegor.
“Yawn.”
I lay on the bed in a human body for the first time in ages.
Whatever other demons say about Bel Phegor, I couldn’t care less.
“Too bothersome.”
Once, I poured everything into dominating the Intermediate Realm and expanding the Demon Race.
I invested my life, soul, and everything I had into pushing humanity to the brink of victory.
But I lost.
The Demon King was destined to be defeated by a Hero, according to the laws of the world, and I fell to a human Hero wielding the Holy Sword and the three hybrid heroes who supported him.
“…….”
My heart, still pierced by the Holy Sword, aches even after 500 years.
Even though so much time has passed, the phantom pain still resonates in my chest, bringing back the memories of that day.
Especially today, it is stronger.
Maybe because today marks the 500th anniversary of my summoning to the Intermediate Realm.
“Back then, it was really something.”
The golden age of Demon kind.
I indulged in tremendous wealth and power that I could not enjoy in the Demon World.
I experienced all the luxuries one could imagine in a lifetime.
Who among the demons has captured both the Elf Queen and the Fairy Queen at the same time?
Who among the demons has stolen a kiss from a Saintess in front of the priesthood?
Who among the demons has taken down a Female Hero before her Childhood Friend the Sorceress could react?
There were one or two.
There were countless demons summoned to the Intermediate Realm besides me, and surely there were others of Demon King caliber.
But none achieved results like I did.
There was no demon more extraordinary than I.
Sometimes, when I eavesdrop on the demons summoned to the Intermediate Realm, I hear that the great Demon Lord Bel Phegor still looms large that demons tremble at the thought of him.
“I did play a rather remarkable part.”
The first human alliance in history must have been when they confronted my Demon King’s Army.
Summoned by a certain Dark Sorcerer, I seized control of the sorcerer’s body and successfully summoned my ‘true form’ to the Intermediate Realm.
The Intermediate Realm is a place demons cannot just enter.
After the Celestial Horse Wars, the Celestial Race sealed the Intermediate Realm so that they could not enter freely, forcing demons to find special means to venture there.
The scenario of ‘official summoning’ exists.
A method commonly referred to as the ‘Demon Summoning Ceremony’, I was summoned by a Dark Sorcerer and caused quite a ruckus in the Intermediate Realm.
If I were to do it again…
“Too bothersome.”
Burnout.
I’ve already poured everything I had.
But all it took was one instant for a Hero to shatter all of that into oblivion.
I realized.
No matter how hard the Demon Race tried to invade the Intermediate Realm, ultimately, a Hero would step in and sort everything out.
No matter how deep I hide, making dungeons and filling my Demon King’s Castle with minions to prevent Heroes from coming, no matter how many humans I kill as I see fit.
A Hero would suddenly pop out from somewhere and kill the Demon King.
Whether the Celestials intervened or that esteemed Goddess sent any random Hero, someone would wield the ‘Holy Sword’ and slay demons.
When the Holy Sword shines with light, demons simply have to ‘screech!’ and die.
That is the Holy Sword, the Hero, and the fate of demons.
And yet.
“Hey, lazy. Let’s pull off something big.”
“Get lost.”
A green-haired demon with glasses and a white robe, Mammon, came all the way down to this deep underground to persuade me.
“I’ll go if you come!”
“Leave me out of it. There are plenty of guys wanting to be the Demon King. Just set up one of them as a replacement and go.”
“If it’s not you, it’s meaningless!”
Mammon stomped her feet in frustration.
“You’re the strongest, you’re the Demon Lord, so don’t you dare back out!”
“That’s just talk.”
“Come on, please! If you just participate, I’ll do it ten, no, a hundred times for you!”
“I have no intention to.”
“Don’t you even want to listen to what it is?!”
“Yeah. Here.”
Mammon fired magical bullets at me.
I simply lay there and caught the magical bullet with my hand, causing it to explode.
“I’m not going, so stop asking.”
“Hey, loser! Are you planning to just stay here forever?!”
Tears welled up in Mammon’s eyes.
“Don’t you have any thoughts about taking revenge on humans?! Are you just going to rot here for the rest of your life?!”
“Yup. Trying to scratch my pride like that won’t work.”
I waved my hand dismissively at Mammon.
“If you really want to go, do it amongst yourselves. Don’t drag me into it.”
“…Do you even know what the Demon World is like right now?”
Mammon’s eyes began to shine with fury.
“The mana flowing through the chi streams is running dry. There isn’t enough mana to feed the newborns, so now the parent demons are sharing their mana to survive. If this continues, all the demons in this world will become ‘mortals’.”
“I couldn’t care less.”
“And will you really let the world perish? Even if the planet itself dies?”
“Having lived long enough, dying along with the Demon World wouldn’t be too bad. It’s pointless to argue. I….”
Sigh.
“I’m just going to sleep here, so don’t interrupt my slumber and get lost.”
“…You jerk.”
With that, Mammon vanished using teleportation magic.
For someone who had spent so long researching the survival of the Demon World and demons, it must infuriate her that I won’t participate in her research and in the plans the six Demon Kings are trying to execute. And indeed, she was angry.
But that’s not a reason for me to be involved.
Even if their plan succeeded and turned the Intermediate Realm into a Demon World, I would still just sleep in this world.
I have nothing to achieve.
No purpose or goal in life.
What remains for me is simply to breathe and sleep.
“Maybe it’s for the better.”
If the eternal sleep of death approaches, I will quietly close my eyes and accept it.
Probably.
So.
“…I guess I’ll just sleep.”
No matter who comes to attack, I am fully prepared not to wake up.
Not sleeping in this human body, but sleeping as my ‘true form’.
“Release Polymorph.”
Grrrr.
My body began to grow slowly.
My vision broadened, and the mana flowing through my body began to overflow.
“…….”
Filling the cave with my size.
I closed my ears with my magic, cutting off all senses, and lay down flat.
To slumber.
*
An illusion manifests.
In a dark cave.
A girl walks with her hands bound by ropes alongside other boys and girls.
Inside the cave, there was a massive chamber, and in it stood a solitary altar.
-Oooh, great Demon Lord! We call upon your soul here!
The girl blankly scanned her surroundings.
On the altar were people dressed in black robes with white hoods flipped over their heads.
They had only two eye holes in their hoods; other than that, there were no characteristics to be seen. Each of the robed figures gripped a dagger and began muttering incantations.
The girl was engulfed in fear.
It felt as if those daggers would pierce toward her at any moment.
But her body wouldn’t move.
As her mind began to clear, her body walked toward the altar as if manipulated by the unknown dark sorcerers.
And the girl’s fears became reality.
Oh great Demon Lord, we offer up the 660th girl for you. Please descend upon us!
The girl was to be a sacrifice.
The girl laying in front had her heart ripped out while lying on the altar.
Yet, despite her heart being removed, the girl continued moving as if she were a corpse controlled by a necromancer, advancing beyond the altar.
661. 662. And… slowly, it became her turn.
What happened to the girl afterwards remains unknown.
The only thing she knew was that she was the 666th.
Ah, can you hear me?! I am sending so many girls to your side! My beloved Demon Lord, please, please, descend here this time!
Great Demon Lord, Bel Phegor!!
The girl lay on the altar.
It wasn’t by choice.
She didn’t want to die.
Help me.
Thud.
The sharp dagger pierced the girl’s heart.
And.
Her blue eyes began to be stained slowly with red.