A sound of clapping resounded throughout the room. Calypso calmly walked up to the Demon Lord. She had no sense of fright or worry on her face. She immediately fell to one knee, bowing toward him.

“My lord, you have done splendidly. Your.. predecessor offered to help me leave this dungeon.” Her eyes went to Bernard, who had only just recovered from the miasma suddenly leaving him.

Surprisingly, he managed to regain consciousness quickly. I thought he would have been out cold like Carmine. That led me to wonder how much of the Demon Prince I had been battling before was Bernard and his desires, and how much was the Prince’s. It seemed like the real Demon Prince, Aberis, didn’t care about the princess at all. He only cared about his own success. The recently restored princess in mermaid form was still crying and shaking on the ground. I comforted her with a hand on her shoulder, but I still kept myself ready in case Aberis suddenly attacked. There was no predicting what he would do now.

“I hope you can acknowledge all that I’ve done to help you in your quest. If you help me leave, I will be your humble servant for the remainder of times.”

Aberis looked down on the kneeling Calypso, a bit of humor in his eyes. “Oh.. Calypso, you were always so welcoming. You did make a good mother for me once. Sadly.. you’re still alive out there, so I’m not inclined to bring you with me.”

“Wh-what?” her eyes widened, standing up.

Before she could back away, he moved toward her. His blade stabbed right through her in the same way that he had killed the Demon King. The Demon King’s body was lying on the ground nearby. Calypso stared, wide-eyed, in complete confusion over his words.

“Did you never wonder why you and that Bandit Hero were here? What place you played in my story?” Aberis chuckled. “When I was destroyed, I saved myself using your body, the same way I had with Xin countless years later. You offered your body for me, and we traveled for many years together, manipulating the Bandit Hero, before we finally found how I could be reborn in this world. Just as Xin and the Hero King were my parents last time, you and the Hero Bandit were my parents back then. Of course, the current you predates that event.”

He pulled his sword out, and Calypso collapsed on the ground, blood pouring from her mouth. She collapsed as well, dying just as quickly as the King. Her body started to melt moments later, turning into miasma.

“You can kill dungeon creations easy with that sword!” Xin spoke up. “How about fighting someone a little closer to your level!”

“Ah!” His eyes brightened. “My current mother. It has been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Y-you.. demon..” These words came from Bernard. “You.. used me.. you..”

The Demon Lord glanced at Bernard more like he was looking at a bug. “And you’re the one who took my play in this story. You sadly just didn’t have what it took to be me. What can I say, you just didn’t have the balls.”

Bernard’s face grew flush, and then angry. “I will kill you for that! I am the Demon-slaying hero! You defiled my body. I will make you pay!”

Free of miasma clouding his judgement, it seemed like Bernard really was bothered by demons. With a name like Demon-slaying hero, it always seemed strange to me he was fine with joining their side. It looked like, in the end, he had been a victim like anyone else.

“Die!”historical

“Wait!”

To my surprise, Bernard rushed at Aberis, using all of his skills to attack the other man. Aberis almost disdainfully struck the man. The cut sliced off his armor and sent him flying back. I had only taken a few steps and ended up in the way of the flying Bernard. He slammed into me, and the pair of us went flying toward the wall.

My hands instinctively wrapped around him and grabbed him, and I took the hit with my armor. I was jostled, but okay. It was then with my hand pressed against Bernard’s chest that I felt something soft.

“Huh?”

With the armor cut away, and her shirt soaking wet, the outline of a feminine body became extremely clear in my hands.

“S-s-stop touching those.” A pretty girl, not an ikeman, looked up at me with teary eyes.