At first glance, I knew he was the devil.

Although I knew the devils existed, I never had the opportunity to see one clearly.

But, I understood it immediately—

—how powerful.

A large man with tremendous magical power. He was twice as large as an adult.

He had sharp, thick, horns on his head. His skin was lacquer-black. His eyes kept staring at me, making me weak in the knees.

“Ah, ah…”

“You don’t have to be so scared, I don’t mean any harm. However, can you answer my question? Are you Liliana?”

“Y, yes…”

Why was a devil there?

How did he know of my name?

A lot of questions assaulted my mind in an instant, but I couldn’t afford to think about any of them.

It wasn’t possible for me to calmly grasp the situation.

It even seemed that any move I made would lead to death.

I should calm my breathing…

Where should I look…?

Should I stare back at him? Shouldn’t I just turn away?

No good.

I couldn’t think at all.

“I see. You must be the one who made this sword, right?”

“T, that’s…”

What he had in hand was a sword I made at the royal castle.

It should had been left in the smithy of the royal castle.

For some reason, it was in the hands of the devil.

“Hmm, judging from your reaction, I must be correct. Well, I was convinced from the beginning.”

“…”

“Are you perhaps curious as to why I have this sword?”

“Uhm, that’s…”

“I don’t mind. You can ask me anything. Oh, by the way, I haven’t introduced myself yet—I’m Ibris Dart, the king of the Demon Realm.”

Ibris Dart.

It was the name of the Demon King the kingdom was fighting against.

As a person who served the royal castle, there was no way I wouldn’t know that name.

It seemed that my intuition was also correct.

“Devil…”

“Indeed. I’m the Demon King.”

“Why, in a place like this…? Shouldn’t you be facing the Hero…?”

“I fought him the other day.”

“Eh…”

Fought?

With the Hero? Allen?

“That coward. As soon as the holy sword broke, he went mad with fear and ran away. Should we still be calling him the hero?”

It seemed that Allen was still alive.

“I found this sword amongst those who had fallen during that battle. Such a wonderful sword. It’s hard to believe that it was made by humans. That’s why I’m interested.”

With that said, the Demon King turned towards me.

“The last human who could forge a holy sword died a few thousand years before I was born. You’re definitely the chosen one. You should be proud.”

“Is that… so…”

Was he complimenting me?

What on earth was he talking about?

“Is it possible for you to make another holy sword? Can you make one for me?”

“Eh? Me?”

“That’s right. You’re a valuable human being. Who else could it be?”

I was surprised at the unexpected words, but I suppressed my scream.

The Demon King was soliciting me.

He reached out towards me.

For some reason, I wasn’t scared. I felt like Grave was with me…

“Grave?”

“Huh? Who is that?”

The door opened with tremendous force.

The sound of a sword being unsheathed echoed in the smithy. In the next moment, a slash with unnoticeable speed was launched.

“Liliana!”

“Grave!”

Grave wielded his sword and slashed at the Demon King.

The Demon King leaned back and withdrew a few steps to distance himself.

I hid behind Grave.

“Are you okay? Are you injured?”

“Y, yes, but why are you here?”

“This guy told me.”

He turned his gaze towards his blade.

“That sword?”

“Yes, it suddenly vibrated. The moment I grabbed it, I knew Liliana was in danger.”

Did the sword I forge detect that my peril?

Such a thing was unheard of…

“Who’s that guy? He can’t be human.”

“He’s the Demon King—Demon King Ibris!”

“The Demon King!?”

Grave narrowed his eyes and glared at the Demon King.

The Demon King laughed at Grave.

“How surprising. That’s a nice sword you have there, human.”

“Are you truly the Demon King…?”

“I am. What is your name, Hero?”

“Grave.”

“Grave? A powerful and good name—suitable for a true hero.”

“True hero…? What are you talking about?”

Grave asked with his sword in his hand.

Then, the Demon King pointed at his sword.

“Was that sword forged by Liliana?”

“How do you—”

“—It’s the holy sword. The only blade that can end me.”

The Demon King replied firmly.

The sword I re-forged and gave to Grave was a holy sword—and a sword that could kill the Demon King.

“Otherwise, who else could you be? Isn’t the man who possesses the sword that can kill me the Hero? The man who fought me earlier also had a holy sword, but his resolve was too weak. Meanwhile, you didn’t hesitate to step before me… you aren’t even trembling. You have what it takes to be a Hero.”

“…I’m not the Hero. Also, don’t compare me with that guy.”

“I see. That’s a shame.”

“…What was that? For what purpose did you come here?”

“I’ve already told you. Liliana, be mine. Come to the castle with me.”

The Demon King reached out towards me again.

When Grave heard that, he showed a complicated expression—it was a mixture of doubt and hostility.

---

***T/N: Now, now, it’s time for you to sell your sword to him at the price of two, and tell him to upload it to his Instagram so the whole Demon Realm knew and PROFIT!!!

Please also consider donating to my ko-fi! It’ll greatly support me in action, no matter the amount!
https://ko-fi.com/antoinettevanessa

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