Chapter 8: The Demon Lord and the Confession

"They were incredible..."

After seeing the girls off with satisfied smiles following our... intensive bonding session, I stood on the roof of the inn, reminiscing about what had just happened.

The events in the bathroom had been nothing short of a dream. Their earnest, full-frontal assault had been far too much for my virgin self to handle. But more than that, I was happy that they had accepted my circumstances—that they had looked me in the eye and promised things wouldn't end in tragedy.

At the same time, I finally understood just how much they truly cared for me.

For their sake, I have to find the Demon Lord as soon as possible.

To be honest, I had feelings for all three of them. But if I wanted to properly answer their feelings, I needed to settle the score with the Demon Lord first.

"That's right... I have to defeat the Demon Lord and destroy the <Abyssal Mana Stone>."

As if reciting a mantra, I gazed at the beautiful night sky and the faint silhouette of the Demon Lord’s Castle in the distance. I steeled my heart, forcing myself to review the suspicious behavior I’d noticed from the three of them during our journey.

First, Fiona. The alcohol-loving, slightly manipulative Saint. The information she’d brought about a 'dungeon with rare liquor' had resulted in an ambush by one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Perhaps the lack of booze wasn't just a fluke, but a deliberate lure to lead us into a trap. And while she claimed to have the Goddess’s protection, I still had my doubts about whether the source of her power was truly holy. That drunken rant about the Pope... it felt like it came from a deep darkness that couldn't be explained away by mere intoxication. Maybe she was using the Demon Lord's power to seek revenge against the Church. Most importantly, she visited the Cathedral regularly—she had plenty of opportunities to leak our location.

Next, Cecilia. The smut-loving female knight. She was the one who noticed the carriage. Was that a setup to make us rescue the Succubus Queen? She spoke of knightly pride, but that very pride could sometimes drive a person to extreme measures. Moreover, that unnatural fighting spirit she showed in battle didn't feel like the power of a mere mortal knight.

And then, Iris. The tsundere mage. The 'forbidden curse' she discovered was a dangerous spell designed to dominate others. Was the 'backfire' that turned her into a doting kitten just an act to perfect her performance as the Demon Lord? If her goal was to lower my guard by making me believe she was under a spell—tricking me into thinking she was genuinely attracted to me just to bypass my <Perfect Rejection>...

As I weighed the possibilities one by one, a memory from the Succubus Queen’s final moments flashed through my mind. In her last breath, Irene’s eyes were fixed on someone behind me. She had been mocking that person, as if saying, 'Since you won't seduce him, I'll do it myself.' If I recalled exactly who she was looking at...

"...Is it you?"

I didn't want to believe it. But looking back now, all the pieces fit together. I groaned at the conclusion I didn't want to reach. Just as I headed back to my room to re-evaluate my deduction—

I found two letters wedged in my door.

"You've gotta be kidding me..."

I let out a dumbfounded cry as I read them. Both letters were from different senders with different handwriting, but they said the exact same thing: 'There is something I must tell you directly. Please come to (specified location) at midnight.'

Clutching the letters, I headed straight for the girls' room.

When I knocked, Cecilia poked her head out. Perhaps remembering last night, her face turned bright red the moment she saw me.

"Is that you, Kamiya-dono? What is it? Has something happened? Don't tell me you’ve come for a 'night visit'..."

"No, nothing like that. Has anything changed on your end?"

She looked visibly disappointed at my quick denial.

"Ah, well, Lady Fiona left a short while ago, saying she had 'urgent business.'"

"And Iris... she’s here, I take it?"

I spotted Iris on the bed, deep in thought. I spoke loudly enough for her to hear me too.

"I see... Got it. Thanks. I'm heading to my meeting spot, too."

"Meeting spot...?"

I gave Cecilia a vague smile to brush off her confusion, then went back to my room to change into my outdoor gear.

I left the inn and hurried toward the herb fields on the outskirts of the city. The night wind cooled my flushed cheeks. My heartbeat echoed throughout my entire body.

Under the moonlight, the vast herb field stretched out before me. Amidst the sweet fragrance, I spotted a single silhouette.

"Is this 'confession' a confession of love? Or a confession that you're the Demon Lord?"

"I wonder... when did you realize?"

The figure turned toward me under the moonlight. When I spoke to her, she replied with a voice colder than I had ever heard from her before.

"The first time I thought something was off was during the battle with the Fallen Sage... When his illusions 'tempted' me, I heard you mutter something in your distress. And I felt a leak of mana. The mana of a Demon Lord I’d fought before."

"..."

"It all makes sense now. The Fallen Sage knew exactly where we were... which meant one of my companions had to be leaking our location somehow."

"...I see. But couldn't the other two have done that just as easily?"

"There’s more... Once I started suspecting you guys, I looked into everyone. I realized that even though you all seemed perfect, you each carried secrets and pain... Every time I heard those stories, I wanted to help. I didn't want to doubt you. But I couldn't ignore the facts..."

I fixed my gaze on her. Her expression was devoid of emotion; I couldn't read a single thought.

"When I was first summoned to this world, you were the only one there. I thought the timing was too perfect, but of course it was. Because the Demon Lord was right there on the scene. Isn't that right, Iris?"

The girl who always wore a prickly, aloof expression was looking down tonight. In the moonlight, her profile looked so fragile, as if she might vanish at any moment.

"Is that so? The other two might have been hiding in the royal castle in secret, you know. And if the Fallen Sage knew your location, Fiona went to the Cathedral every time we were in a city. If she’d passed a letter or used magic there..."

"A letter wouldn't reach its destination that fast. Besides, I followed her once. She wasn't using magic."

She was just drinking and complaining. If Fiona had realized I was following her, she probably would have used magic to contact the monsters as usual, rather than exposing her shameful side to me. Well, thanks to that, we actually became friends...

"And there are other reasons. Only a powerful mage like a Demon Lord could manipulate a forbidden curse, right? If Fiona could use one, knowing her personality, she would have used it on me ages ago. Plus, the only one whose 'backfire' failed to trigger my <Perfect Rejection> was you."

The more I tried to deny it, the more evidence of her guilt piled up.

"That's not all... When I was 'seduced' by the Fallen Sage's magic, you were the one who was most shaken. Because even though the other two were being hit by my <Perfect Rejection>, you weren't... You’ve had feelings for me since back then, haven't you? And... Irene wasn't looking at Fiona. She was looking at you, standing right behind her."

"I see. So you figured it all out... Hah, I guess there was no point in writing that letter then."

Iris gave a faint laugh. It wasn't the kind, hidden smile she usually tucked behind her barbs; it was a fragile, self-deprecating smirk that looked ready to shatter.

"Yes... that's right, Kamiya. I am the Demon Lord. I knew I was reaching the limit of my deception, so I planned to tell you myself... but you figured it out on your own. You really are something, aren't you?"

It was a rare compliment from the girl who was always 'tsun,' but it didn't make me happy at all. Because she said it with such a quiet, tearful face...

"At first, I just intended to use you. When we fought at the castle, I realized even I couldn't win, so I infiltrated your party to find a way to take you down. Fortunately, I was the kingdom's top mage and a young woman, so I was accepted without question. Maybe it helped that I was a commoner with no ties. I thought I’d just seduce you and kill you when you let your guard down. But you didn't react to my advances at all... and while traveling with you, I... I really fell in love with you."

Iris’s trembling voice melted into the sweet scent of the herbs.

"Fiona, Cecilia... I intended to use them, too. But spending time with them, I started thinking of them as precious comrades. It was the first time for me. No one mocked me for being a commoner... we talked about our feelings and laughed about 'girl talk'... That's why I..."

Her voice trailed off, and Iris bit her lip hard. Her small fists were shaking, as if she were desperately holding something back.

"The letter you gave me... 'I have something to confess, come to the herb field'... it held two meanings, didn't it? A 'confession of love' and a 'confession of being the Demon Lord.'"

"Yes... because I couldn't stand hiding the truth from you any longer. From the person I love..."

I see... Her prickly attitude had been a defensive wall to protect herself. And there was something in her story that caught my attention.

"Wait, you said you were a commoner. That means you were human? You weren't the Demon Lord from the start?"

"No. I... I had powerful magic, but I wasn't born a noble. So I was always treated coldly. To make them acknowledge my power, I worked desperately, giving everything to the study of magic. That was when Belial, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, took notice of me. He captured me easily when I visited a village to gather materials for my experiments. I wanted to kill myself, but... he took the villagers who had been kind to me hostage."

Her face twisted in agony. She looked truly pained.

"To turn me into a 'Vessel for the Demon Lord,' he gave me the power of the <Abyssal Mana Stone>, forcing the title of Demon Lord upon me. He said it was to lead the monsters... Regardless of my will, my body became host to the Demon Lord’s power."

Iris’s confession weighed heavily on my heart. How much suffering had she endured? Treated coldly, working hard to find a place to belong, only to be turned into a Demon Lord against her will.

Ah, so that’s why... That was why the previous Hero had left a message: 'If the Demon Lord seeks help, please lend her your strength.' The Demon Lord isn't a 'King of Monsters'—she’s just a device for the monsters to obtain power.

"Well? Do you despise me now? I had my reasons, but the fact remains that I betrayed humanity and tried to kill you. I wouldn't blame you."

"Iris... I..."

I had expected this to some extent. But hearing the truth from her own lips left me reeling. However, I—

"What is this...? My mana is moving on its own... Don't tell me, Belial...!"

In that instant, an overwhelming surge of mana erupted from Iris’s chest, and a pitch-black stone floated into the air. The mana within the stone looked ready to overflow.

"I don't think so!!"

Reacting instantly, I leaped up to grab the black stone, intending to nullify it with my <Infinity Mana> skill. It thrashed in my hand, releasing mana for a few moments before finally losing its power. If that mana had gone out of control, this city would have been...

"N-No. Kamiya..."

"Iris... just now..."

Were you trying to destroy the city as the Demon Lord? I swallowed the words, but it was too late. Seeing the doubt in my eyes for even a split second, Iris gave a self-mocking laugh.

"I thought so... It makes sense. To think someone like me could be loved by a Hero like you... or that I could stay your comrade."

With those final words, she turned her back to me and vanished into the darkness of the herb field.

"Iris! Wait!"

I tried to chase after her, but my feet felt like lead. My heart was crushed by the fact that she was the Demon Lord, but more than that, the guilt of causing her to make that face prevented me from moving.

"Iris... I..."

Memories of our journey flashed before my eyes like a kaleidoscope.

Her awkward attempts to crawl into my bed despite her 'tsun' attitude.

Her magic-obsessed side, and the way she clung to me as 'Master ♡' when the spell backfired.

The way she talked excitedly about magic items at the shop, explaining everything to me.

The sparkle in her eyes as she rewrote the formulas in the ancient ruins, showing an innocent, childlike smile.

Her honest eyes. The way she stayed by my side and supported me when I was still new to this world.

Demon Lord or not, I love this girl. I realized I truly, deeply loved her.

"Don't give me that bullshit...!"

Anger at my own hesitation welled up inside me. I punched myself in the head in a fit of frustration. My <Overload> skill meant it didn't do much damage, but it cleared my head.

"I don't care if she's the Demon Lord or whatever! I love Iris!"

I ran back toward the inn, the echoes of her pained cry still ringing in my ears.

When I returned to the room, the bed where Iris’s luggage had been was empty. Only a single note remained on the mattress.

'A total war between the Demon Lord's army and humanity is about to begin. You're too kind; you won't be able to kill me now that we've become friends, right? It was all part of the plan. I'll spare your life, so just run away from the battlefield.'

Her usual prickly tone... but the paper was stained with wet spots, as if she had been crying while writing it. Any idiot could see through it. She was trying to get me to abandon the fight so I could escape safely.

"Don't give me that! Why are you trying to shoulder everything alone!?"

I crumpled the note, my eyes burning with rage as I shouted.

"Like hell I'm letting you be by yourself!"

Just as I was about to bolt out of the room to search for her—

"Lord Kamiya! Disaster has struck! The thing we feared most has happened!"

"Fiona... sorry for ignoring your letter. Things happened..."

"That doesn't matter! Listen to me!"

Fiona came running in, uncharacteristically breathless and with her hair in disarray. Cecilia followed behind her, looking utterly bewildered.

"What on earth is going on? Lady Fiona is arguing with the Cathedral, Iris-dono has vanished... Tell me, is this what they call 'neglect play'?"

"Fiona, are you okay? Calm down."

I rubbed Fiona's back while still clutching Iris's note. Her ragged breathing and the lack of her usual composure told me how serious the situation was. Cecilia still seemed to be catching up, saying something stupid that I decided to ignore for now.

"Fiona, come into my room. You too, Cecilia. We need to talk."

I went inside and closed the door so no one could enter. Fiona immediately sat on the chair by the bed, taking deep breaths. Sensing something from our behavior, Cecilia stood warily by the wall, looking back and forth between Fiona and me.

"Fiona, your panic is related to that letter you sent me, right? But first, I need you to hear me out."

I set down Iris's note. While Fiona drank some water to steady her breathing, I explained that Iris was the Demon Lord and that she had already returned to the castle.

"To think such a thing had transpired..."

Cecilia, who had been completely out of the loop, let out a cry of shock. Fiona, however, only gave a solemn nod. Her reaction confirmed my suspicion.

"Based on your letter... did the Church already know there was a Demon Lord in our party?"

"Yes... My initial objective was to obtain your seed... and to eliminate any monsters that had infiltrated the party. I never imagined it would be the Demon Lord herself, but..."

"The Church noticed too... Wait, those letters you were hiding back at the inn early on..."

"Yes... I didn't want to be suspected, but I wanted to tell you that a monster was lurking among us. Perhaps if we had cooperated from the start, things would have gone more smoothly... I am ashamed that I could not trust the man I love."

Fiona covered her eyes with both hands.

"So... you were working behind the scenes for Iris’s sake this whole time, weren't you?"

"Yes. After all, I knew Lady Iris was the Demon Lord."

I realized Fiona had been walking a dangerous tightrope. Her shoulders were trembling slightly. For someone who usually valued her public image so much to be this desperate, it wasn't hard to imagine how hard she had been working for Iris.

"To be honest, I was conflicted. My orders from the Church were to seduce you while searching for the traitor. But as we traveled together, both Lady Iris and Lady Cecilia truly opened their hearts to me. They accepted my true self. As true comrades, we shared that time in the bath together..."

Fiona trailed off, her cheeks turning red. That bath time with the four of us. No one could have imagined the Demon Lord was considering betrayal in a situation like that. I felt the same way. That time had been purely fun, warm, and made me feel like we were comrades from the bottom of my heart. Well, it was erotic, too...

"If she was just a monster, I intended to convince her to defeat the Demon Lord. I was wary of Lady Iris because of the clever way the incense was distributed—making it impossible to tell who had given it to us—but Irene told me during our battle: 'One of you is the Demon Lord-sama. Are you really so happy about defeating someone like me?' That was when I was certain Lady Iris was the Demon Lord among us. I just never expected her to be the Demon Lord herself..."

"But you still believed in her, even while being wary. You kept covering for her, didn't you? That's why the Church didn't interfere until now."

"Yes. Because I consider Lady Iris a precious comrade. But I’ve reached the limit of what I can hide on my own. I went to the Cathedral to plead our case—to say I would handle the monster in our party with you... but I was rejected."

"I’m sorry... Iris called me out too."

"I see... So you chose Lady Iris over me."

"No, that’s not... but like you said, I think Iris felt the same way. She left that note and ran away to keep us from getting dragged into her mess."

I felt an urge to crumple the note in my hand. This was proof of my sin—of my pathetic failure to stop her in that moment.

"I have a question..." Cecilia interrupted. "Why were you both so suspicious of Lady Iris? There was a possibility that I was the Demon Lord, surely? Or did you simply recognize my undeniable knightly virtue?"

"Well... I’m sure Lord Kamiya will explain that," Fiona said, shifting the responsibility to me.

Me!? She dodged the question and threw a killer pass right at my face. I couldn't exactly tell Cecilia it was because she seemed too honest or because she’d be caught immediately... Looking at her sparkling eyes, I gave my answer.

"N-Never mind that! Fiona, you haven't finished your story. Why are you so panicked?"

"Hey! I believe that's a very important matter!" Cecilia protested.

Ultimate Subject Change: Success.

"Yes," Fiona continued, her brow furrowing. Her eyes held a mix of resolve and deep sorrow. "I intended to report to the Church that 'there were no monsters' on my own. Because I believed that you, Lord Kamiya, would save her heart."

She took a deep breath.

"But when I went to the Cathedral, the order waiting for me was unbelievable. They said... 'Word has spread that the Demon Lord's true identity is Iris, and that the Hero is her lover!'"

"What...!?"

I cried out. Iris being the Demon Lord was supposed to be a secret between her and me. How had the Church found out? And that we were lovers... that was an emotion I’d only just realized myself.

"That's absurd! Kamiya-dono and Iris-dono are lovers!?" Cecilia cried, her eyes wide with shock. "Where did this information come from, Lady Fiona? If they think the Hero and Demon Lord are involved like that, they’ll surely try to tear them apart!"

"I don't know the source. But the rumor has spread throughout the Church, and my report was completely ignored. In fact..."

Fiona bit her lip, struggling to continue.

"In fact, a new order was issued to me. Since we’ve defeated three of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Kingdom's army is launching a total assault on the Demon Lord's Castle. And... 'If the Hero does not participate in the battle against the Demon Lord's army, abandon the honey trap and execute him.'"

"Huh?"

The words hit me like a physical blow. You've gotta be kidding. If I might betray them, they'll just kill me? And worse, they ordered Fiona—who had been traveling with me as a comrade—to be my executioner...

"Most likely, Lady Cecilia will receive the same order."

At Fiona’s words, Cecilia’s eyes widened in realization. Her face turned pale.

"N-No... that can't be... My father's orders were to obtain the Hero's lineage..."

Cecilia trailed off. For her, who had been ordered by her parent to 'get the Hero's seed,' an order to 'assassinate' him was far too sudden and unbelievable.

"Both of you..."

I looked at the two girls suffering before me. One was Fiona, who usually hid her calculations behind a mask of a perfect Saint, but was now looking truly pained. The other was Cecilia, who valued her knightly pride and orders, but was now terrified at the possibility of becoming my and Iris’s enemy.

"What am I supposed to do...?" I muttered blankly.

Iris was trying to shoulder the burden of the Demon Lord alone. And Fiona and Cecilia were being forced to choose whether or not to kill me.

If I tried to help Iris, I’d be making the world my enemy. Both of them held honorable positions as a Saint and the strongest knight. If I became an enemy, they would have no choice but to fight.

The world, or Iris. I didn't know the answer to that impossible choice.

I finally found the Demon Lord. Should I just build a harem with the two of them and leave the rest to the Kingdom's army...? Don't be ridiculous. My heart, having seen Iris's tearful face at the end, wouldn't allow it. But if I told them I was going to the castle, I’d just be a burden to them. The fear of losing either the comrades I’d finally gained or the woman I loved kept my feet rooted to the spot.

"What are you moping for, Lord Kamiya!?"

Along with Fiona’s shout, a sharp sound echoed against my cheek. A pleasant sting spread across my face. It was a merciless slap from Fiona. She was looking at me with a steady, piercing gaze.

"The Lord Kamiya I fell in love with is a man who can take action in times like these! There is nothing to hesitate over! You accepted me even after learning about my flaws. You wouldn't abandon a comrade just because she’s the Demon Lord!"

"Fiona...!"

"She's right, Kamiya-dono! You're pathetic!"

This time it was Cecilia. She delivered an equally powerful slap to my other cheek. This one actually hurt.

"You are our lord! We knights exist to follow our lord’s commands! And I believed my beloved Kamiya-dono was a man kinder than anyone else—a man who would happily fulfill my fetishes even knowing what they were! Was I mistaken in my judgment!?"

"You're right... you're both right."

The pain in my cheeks was nothing compared to how much their words moved me. That's right. I'm a Hero. I shouldn't be showing them such a pathetic side of myself.

Fiona pulled the Church’s order from her pocket and tore it to shreds.

"Besides, I am no longer a Saint. I am simply a woman who has fallen in love with you. I will not follow the Church; I will follow your orders and fight for you!"

Cecilia similarly ripped the family crest from her armor and drew her sword.

"Trust in us, Hero! Knightly pride and my father's orders are trifles compared to my feelings for you! This sword shall be swung only to protect you!"

Their resolve brought hot tears to my eyes. That's right, I'm not alone. These two believe in me.

"Thank you...!"

I wiped my eyes and clenched my fists tight. My hesitation was gone.

"Now then, what is it you want to do, Hero-sama?"

At Fiona's question, I threw away my doubts and shouted toward the sky.

"I want to spend time with Iris, Fiona, and Cecilia... all of us, laughing and having fun again! This adventure has been so much fun—it's been the best time of my life. So please... help me convince Iris!"

"Of course. Lady Iris is a precious friend to me as well."

"Indeed. Leave it to us."

They answered my resolve with their own.

"But how are we going to get to the Demon Lord’s Castle? The Kingdom's army is already surrounding the area, right? And I'm being watched."

"In that case, I have a plan. Lord Kamiya, please follow my and Lady Cecilia's instructions. That should allow us to deceive those around us."

I got a very bad feeling as Fiona gave me a sweet, knowing smile.

★★★

"Welcome back, Demon Lord-sama... my liege."

"...Belial. You’ve done something unnecessary. I never heard about that magic."

Belial had been waiting for his master’s return. He spoke to her, only to be met with a sharp glare. He replied, however, without seeming bothered.

"I simply gave my liege a little push, since you seemed to be hesitating. You had no place there anyway, being the Demon Lord... you knew that, didn't you?"

"...I know."

"More importantly, how was the Hero? Well, I’m sure a mere human like that is no match for you once you obtain your true power..."

"He won't be coming. I turned him down quite harshly. The <Abyssal Mana Stone> is in the back, isn't it? I'll gather my strength for now."

"Yes, as you wish. With my liege here, the Kingdom's army is no match for us."

Iris headed toward the throne, ignoring his obvious flattery. Belial watched her go with a smirk.

He had already leaked Iris’s identity to his subordinates within the Church. By now, her position as a human would be lost, and a subjugation order would have been issued. The Hero—or perhaps the Saint and the Knight—would surely come to kill her. And once she fell into despair over humanity's betrayal, his long-cherished wish would finally be fulfilled…