Somewhere in The Kingdom...
Many teens are gathered in an open area. There are dummies neatly arranged at the spot. They are asked to blast their magic at the dummies. From afar, several adults are seen around, monitoring the event.
"Fireball!"
In instant, a boy throws a ball-sized fire magic to the dummy ahead of him. The dummy burns, not leaving any trace of fabric. Not so long after, another shout is heard.
"Wind Cutter!"
Another girl casts a wind magic. Immediately, blades of wind get thrown and split the dummy into several parts. Shout after shouts are exchanged between the figures in the field. At first glance, it seems like an examination...
The Lux Academy entrance exam.
"Next!"
An examiner shouting for the next candidate to be assessed. A crystal ball being hold tightly in his hand. A boy steps forward and stands right in front of him. His body gets trembled as if the call will soon determines his future. Slowly, he reaches out his hand towards the crystal ball. The crystal ball glows red. The examiner lets out a long sigh before opening his mouth again.
"Another fire magic user... Next!"
Another candidate steps forward. From his appearance, he seems like a lowly nobleman with the modest attires he is wearing. The examiner smiles at the boy, not expecting any great outcome out of him. The boy reaches out his hand to the crystal ball. Instantly, the examiner's eyes widened at the scene in front of him.
"I-Impossible... The crystal glows gold... just like the record..."
The ball instantly emits a golden light, so bright that it glare simmers the room. The examiner stands still in front of the crystal, disbelief by what he just seen. He takes a few steps back. His voice trembled. In an instant, he glare to his side, calling his friends not too far from him. The others come closer and spontaneously give the same reaction as soon as they see the shining crystal.
"T-This is the golden light that appeared a thousand years ago in the record, the same golden light as our first Warrior..."
"Is this boy in front of us... the Warrior of this era?"
Everyone present are shocked to see the reaction of the testers who were wide-eyed and chattering about something. Their gazes are full of disbelief. The boy seeing the reactions plainly as if there was nothing to be surprised about. In an instant, the examiner looks back at the boy and hurries the boy to the testing ground to witness his abilities for himself. Everyone present also watches from a distance, knowing the commotion that just occurs.
The boy stands in the field. There is a dummy not so far in front of him. He looks at the crowd that surrounds him in wonder. He then shift his gaze towards his palm for a while before clenching them tightly. He opens his hand and directs it towards the dummy in front of him. He lets out a long breath before opening his mouth again to chant something.
"Fireball..."
A fireball comes out of his tiny hands. However, it did not stop growing. The ball continued to grow as tall as the school building before finally being released towards the dummy in front of him. Everyone who witnessed the magic, including the examiners and other candidates, could only stare at the abnormal situation in front of them.
Bam.
The ball hit the dummy in front of him hard. The sound of the crash was loud accompanied by a strong gust of wind that swept the surroundings. Some took cover behind poles. Some closed their eyes. The gust of wind also brought dust, making it difficult to participate. The wind continued to blow strongly for some time before finally subsiding.
Everyone watched the sight in front of them with wide eyes. The dummy doll that had been intact for some time now suddenly disappeared from view. A crater formed and there were several spots of lava rising inside it, indicating the capacity of the fire magic that hit the ground to melt it. The boy looked at those who saw him with a surprised face, the sight in front of him was something that a magician should do.
His hands were put in his pockets. His feet stepped forward towards the next dummy doll. His hands were stretched out before his mouth again chanted something.
"Wind Cutter..."
Instantly, the wind around him seemed to be sucked in and centered on his palm. The magic was then released. The blades of the wind accelerated. Instantly, the doll was chopped into fine particles before falling to the ground. Due to how fine the chopping was, the particles were then blown away by the wind, leaving only a patch of land at the test site.
Everyone who witnessed it could only be stunned in disbelief at the incident in front of them. The boy patted his dusty hands before looking at the audience in astonishment. Instantly, his gaze shifted to an examiner who seemed excited about something. The examiner's hands were shaking violently. His expression was excited by what he had just seen.
"T-that's right... A magic user who can use magic of all elements... After a thousand years, a hero has finally appeared again among mankind..."
The man said excitedly as his hands trembled. Immediately, another tester patted his shoulder before replying excitedly.
"This must be a sign from the gods for us to end the history of the demons in Terror Canyon!"
All the testers cheered happily at what they said was the reappearance of a hero after a thousand years. The other candidates were only amazed at the abilities shown by the boy. Some also knelt down and broke out in cold sweats at the boy's abilities that they thought were absurd. Various reactions were shown by everyone who saw. However, behind the window of a building, a man in black armor just stared blankly while grinning slightly after seeing the boy's abilities. His hands were crossed before his mouth opened to say something.
"That's interesting..."
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"Sei... Sei, are you okay?" (Worried)
Saoto asked, gazing intently at me—likely worried because my body had gone limp in his embrace. I looked up at Saoto beside me, smiling to reassure him. My cheeks flushed the moment I realized I was about to say something rather embarrassing.
"I-I was so h-happy to get a k-kiss f-from S-Saoto earlier... P-Please l-let me s-stay like this a l-little longer..."
I closed my eyes, too shy to look at Saoto's face. I rested my head against his chest, my right hand clutching his shirt tightly; I didn't want to let go of his warmth. I remained silent, fighting back my embarrassment. Though I imagined a thousand possible responses he might give, I was startled when his hand gently touched my head. Slowly, he pulled my head closer to his chest and began to stroke my hair softly. Despite my shyness, I felt a surge of happiness as I once again felt his heartbeat—racing rapidly because of me. His body heat spread across my exposed skin, bringing a deep sense of calm to my heart. My tail swayed gently, lulled by the warm atmosphere enveloping us. I felt at peace under his caress. Saoto continued to hold me close for a while. Then, he leaned in and whispered close to my ear.
"I'm sorry, Sei, for not being able to keep you company lately. I've had so many things I needed to—" (Choked with emotion)
"You don't need to apologize, Saoto. I fully understand your responsibilities as the leader of Miltia. Thank you for granting my request."
I cut his apology short. Although Saoto felt bad about not being able to spend much time with me, it wasn't his fault, and I was deeply grateful that he allowed me to keep him company right now. I understood how busy he was as the leader of the Militia, which is why I had recently held back my desire to be intimate with him. Just as he respected my shy nature, I needed to respect his time as the Militia's leader—even though, as his girlfriend, I had every right to ask for a little of his attention.
I smiled as I looked at the man beside me, happy to have him there in that moment. Saoto seemed momentarily startled as I tried to soothe him. He then kissed my forehead before looking back at me with a smile. I gazed at him in confusion, waiting for an explanation for the kiss.
"Sei... do you realize you didn't need to change your clothes just to get a kiss?"
"Huh...?" (Lost in thought)
Saoto looked deep into my eyes. I stared back at him in silence, pondering his words. My cheeks flushed as I thought about what I had actually done just moments ago to earn that kiss.
"Eep..."
I was momentarily startled. My eyes fell upon my exposed body, clad only in the undergarments that hugged my curves.
("Come to think of it... Why *did* I change my clothes if I just wanted Saoto to kiss me...?") (Lost in thought)
I fell silent for a while. My mind drifted as I contemplated the situation.
A few days earlier...
I was training hard in the library—the very place where Saoto had taught me how to live as a succubus not long ago. I realized that to help lighten her burden later on, I needed to master the skill of shapeshifting before we set out for my old castle. Although I could easily switch between my succubus form and my male form just by thinking of Saoto, it wasn't quite as simple as changing clothes. I had managed to conjure light armor suited to my male form the other day, thanks to Maou Ilia suddenly interrupting a tender moment I was sharing with Saoto.
(Honestly, I was furious at the time about being disturbed right when things were getting romantic. After all, who wouldn't be angry when the mood is suddenly ruined and the atmosphere turns serious...?) (Lost in thought)
I let out a heavy sigh at the memory. Leaning back in my chair, I gazed out the window—the very spot from which that giant fireball had been unleashed the other day. Suddenly, I was startled by a voice calling out to me.
"Sorry to disturb you, Maou." "How about having some tea Ena made while taking a short break, Maou?"
Ena stood behind me, carrying a tray of tea which she then placed on the table beside me. Seeing her arrive, I stretched my body, which was weary from the earlier training session. Ena poured the tea into a cup. She blew on the steaming hot tea before handing it to me. Although Ena's arrival had interrupted my training, I had no intention of refusing the tea she offered. There was no point in continuing the training anyway; I remained stuck on how to control the outfit that appeared when I transformed. While I could shift into my male form if I sensed Saoto was in danger, that alone wasn't enough—I needed protective armor when fighting alongside him. It was easy enough to switch to a more revealing outfit when being intimate with him, but shifting into light armor required me to fly into a blind rage, just like when I faced Maou Ilia the other day. The mere thought of it worried me deeply, as it could jeopardize our journey—and even put Saoto in danger.
I had almost lost him once before...
I didn't want that to happen again...
I let out a long sigh. Ena set down the teapot she had been holding. She looked at me, about to ask something.
"How is the training going, Maou?" "Any positive progress?"
I was startled by her question. I pressed my hand against my forehead and stared at the library floor, resigned to the state of my training. Slowly, I answered her, looking troubled.
"To be honest, there hasn't been any progress... I'm stuck because I just can't seem to transform the outfit I'm wearing into armor..." (Dejected)
Ena shook her head and let out a heavy sigh. She then stepped closer and gripped my shoulders firmly.
"Maou, how long are you going to keep denying your own feelings?"
"What do you mean, Ena?"
I asked, sounding puzzled. I knew that transforming myself—or my outfit—required a strong will. Yet, the other day, I had managed to manifest light armor, fueled by anger at Ilia for interrupting me. Even though I tried to recreate that scenario, the results were lackluster; I only succeeded in exhausting myself.
Ena smiled at me before speaking again.
"I want you to close your eyes and picture what I'm about to say."
I nodded slowly at her request. I looked straight ahead and closed my eyes, waiting for Ena to continue. After a moment, she spoke again.
"Try imagining that you and Saoto-sama are alone in this library, and you really want to get intimate with him..."
*Puff...*
Suddenly, a cloud of red smoke enveloped my entire body. Slowly, I opened my eyes. The dress I had been wearing moments ago had transformed into lingerie that revealed every curve of my body. I immediately looked at Ena, wanting to ask something.
"Ena, I understand that this outfit appeared because I was thinking about Saoto. The problem is..."
"Close your eyes again, Maou." "Ena isn't finished yet."
I fell silent for a moment, watching Ena, who maintained a serious expression. Although I doubted she truly understood my current predicament, I closed my eyes, trying to place my trust in her. Ena continued speaking.
"Now, Maou, imagine that you and Saoto-sama are in a public place, and Saoto-sama wants to kiss every inch of your exposed skin to prove his love for you."
*Puff...*
Suddenly, a cloud of red smoke reappeared, swirling around my body. I was startled to see the dress I had been wearing transform into a full suit of armor that completely encased me, even covering my head. Wisps of smoke began to drift out from beneath the armor.
("Even though I can't see Maou's face, somehow I can tell that Maou is incredibly embarrassed inside that armor...") (Lost in thought)
I fell silent for a moment, realizing that simply thinking of Saoto was enough for me to fully master my shapeshifting ability. I was then startled when I felt my body being embraced tightly from behind. Ena clung to my armor before whispering into my ear.
"Maou, you need to be honest with Saoto-sama about your feelings. Otherwise, how will Saoto-sama know what you want...?"
I was taken aback by Ena's advice. Yet, deep down, I completely agreed with what she had said.
("Be honest...") (Lost in thought)
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In a palace...
A woman slammed the palace door hard. Her hands were pressed and her legs were wide open to hold the door. Her breathing was heavy, probably due to exhaustion from the long journey she had taken. Instantly, her eyes stared sharply at a throne in the palace. There, a man in a gray robe, yellow hair and glasses was sitting on the palace while several demons wearing hooded robes were kneeling in front of him. The man immediately turned to the woman, surprised by the loud bang. He looked at the faces of the demons who came towards him as he raised his hand to allow them to leave. The demons got up before loudly responding to the command.
"Allow us to leave, Maou"
Their bodies were bent before they turned their bodies to leave. Instantly, the man got up from his throne before looking at the woman at the door. He adjusted his glasses before his feet slowly stepped towards the woman. His hands were raised in the air before his mouth opened to say something.
"Oya oya... How was the long trip to Miltia, Ilia? Everything went well?"
The man asked the witch woman in front of him named Illia. His tone was casual, not surprised by the woman's reaction. Illia clenched her fists before snapping something.
"WHAT ARE YOU CRAZY GOING TO TELL ME TO KILL THAT SAOTO?!! I CAN DIE HE DID IT, DON'T YOU KNOW?!!" (angry)
The woman muttered to the man in front of her. His tone was annoyed with emotion because he was told to do something that was impossible for him. The man just smiled at him. His glasses are fixed. He took a deep breath before saying something again.
"That's enough. I didn't even expect you to go kill him. Just seeing your reaction made me more sure about this Saoto"
The man replied in a casual tone as if he also did not expect Demon King Saoto to be killed. Furious with the response of the man in front of her, the woman clenched her fist. She looked at the man in front of her with an annoyed expression. She slowly advanced while her mouth muttered something.
"That's your response, Laius... You told me to enter enemy territory, risk my life and then you think this is such a trivial matter?!!"
Her eyes seemed to burn, holding back the anger that was already bubbling up. Instantly, the concentrated magic energy surrounding her body indicated that she had no intention of playing around in her speech just now. However, her intention stopped as soon as the man in front of her stretched out his hand to stop the woman from venting her anger. She opened her mouth again to say something.
"Don't misunderstand. Our original purpose for going there was indeed to verify Saoto's strength, nothing more than that. It's just that since we've gone there, it wouldn't be wrong if we tried to verify for ourselves whether Saoto's abilities were real or not"
"That's why you fooled me into trying to kill him?" (Surprised)
The woman was stunned to hear the man's explanation. Her body was at rest again after learning that her true purpose in going to Miltia was not to dig her own grave. Instantly, the woman was startled as soon as the silent Laius patted her shoulder to say something.
"Ilia, let's go to the meeting table. The heroes from The Kingdom are waiting-"
"Huhhh...???"
Her body went limp as soon as she heard the man's words. Her weak legs knelt before she opened her mouth to say something.
"I just got back from a long, tiring journey... You're asking me to go to another meeting? At least give me something to eat first to rest my body..." (Sigh)
Illia pulled her face away, disappointed with the reception she received after traveling all the way to Miltia. In an instant, Lauis tightly gripped the purple robe she was wearing before pulling her to the meeting. Her mouth opened to say something.
"After the meeting is over, eat to your heart's content. This is important with The Kingdom"
Illia just remained silent as the man pulled her towards the meeting room. Her eyes watered, resigned to the fate that had befallen her.
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Inside a chamber within the palace, a familiar figure waited. A man clad in black armor sat with his arms crossed. The faint sound of footsteps echoed before two other figures entered the meeting room. One of them spoke immediately, looking toward the man at the table.
"Apologies for the long wait..."
The figure pulled out a chair and sat opposite the armored man. The woman beside him also took a seat nearby, leaning back casually. The armored man stared blankly at the man before him while raising a hand to signal something.
"It is no matter, Maou Laius and Maou Ilia. Let us return to the topic of our discussion..."
The armored man adjusted his posture before placing his hands on the table. His gaze was serious; there was no room for levity.
"Maou Laius, is it true that you did not attempt to smuggle the Tyrant Demon King here?"
He crossed his arms before continuing,
"The other day, soldiers reported that they last tracked the Tyrant Demon King's whereabouts to the Bloody Forest, near your territory at the Grion border."
He clenched his fist. He stared intently at the man before him. His tone was stern.
The man opposite him merely grinned. He crossed his legs and rested his head on his hand. The tense atmosphere eased slightly as he sat there so nonchalantly. He looked back at the armored man.
"Hero Rodrick, we have known each other for a long time... If the Tyrant Demon King were truly hiding here, I would have handed him over to The Kingdom for further action long ago."
He adjusted his glasses, his gaze sharp as he looked at the man before him. His tone was casual, answering the question as honestly as possible. There was no trace of doubt in his expression. The armored man before him fell silent for a moment before letting out a long sigh.
"Hmm..."
A look of slight disappointment crossed his face upon hearing the answer. Yet, a moment later, he grinned. He leaned back in his chair before opening his mouth to speak.
"As expected, the Tyrant Demon King wouldn't have been spirited away here—contrary to the soldiers' reports. I suspected Demon King Saoto was cunning. He certainly wouldn't bring the Tyrant Demon King here just to get him captured. It was all merely a diversion..."
"A diversion so they could safely escape to their actual destination?"
Lauis interjected while stroking his chin. The armored man nodded slowly, confirming the statement. That diversion forced the deployed forces to spread their search across a wider area, complicating the task of tracking the abducted Tyrant Demon King. He slammed his fist hard onto the table before him; his expression betrayed his frustration that the Tyrant Demon King had managed to escape amidst the chaos. After a moment of silence, Rodrick spoke again, his tone sharp and agitated.
"There is no denying the fact that they managed to escape. But the next question is: where are they headed?"
Rodrick straightened his posture and clenched his fist, his tone turning serious once more. He looked at the two Great Demon Kings standing before him. Lauis, who had been silent for a moment, spoke up again.
"If we stick to our initial assumption that their ultimate destination is the Palace of Queen Lumina, there are only two possible routes. Either from Miltia—Great Demon King Saoto's territory—or..."
"By becoming a hero at Lux Academy..."
Rodrick cut in, drawing a concise conclusion. Both Lauis and Rodrick agreed that these were the only two remaining options, provided their assumption about the Tyrant Demon King's final destination—his former palace, now the Palace of Queen Lumina—was correct. Lauis offered a brief response to Rodrick's words. "Bingo! So, how about it, Hero Rodrick? I heard the Hero Academy just finished recruiting promising new students; surely there wasn't a single one who seemed suspi—"
"None..."
Lauis fell silent as soon as Rodrick instinctively raised his hand and cut off the question. He lowered his head slightly before continuing,
"If there really were a Demon there, their head would have been severed within ten seconds. I'm quite confident in my detection senses. Besides, Demons have become daily fare for both me and this sword of mine."
"Ho..."
Lauis nodded slowly upon hearing the armored man's explanation. Rodrick grasped the sword resting on his back before sheathing it again. Ilia, who had remained silent until then, spoke up to ask,
"So, there really wasn't anything interesting there?"
Ilia asked with a look of curiosity. Rodrick glanced at her before continuing,
"The only thing that really caught my attention there was the possibility of a Hero reappearing after a thousand years. Nothing more than that."
("The reappearance of a Hero??? Why now???")
Lauis fell silent at Rodrick's answer. Ilia simply nodded slowly. Rodrick turned back to Ilia to ask something.
"Returning to our previous discussion, we agreed to send Maou Ilia to Miltia to assess the situation there. After all, the soldiers deployed to Miltia were defeated, demonstrating just how tight Maou Saoto's control over the region is. So, how was the journey to Miltia, Maou Ilia? Is the Tyrant Demon King in Miltia?"
Rodrick asked with a blank expression, knowing this was the only path left regarding the Tyrannical Demon King. All that was needed was Maou Ilia's testimony.
The purple-robed woman before him propped her feet up on the table and crossed her arms. She let out a heavy sigh before speaking again.
"Yes, it is true that the Tyrannical Demon King is in Miltia."
Rodrick smiled at Ilia's answer. They now knew the Tyrannical Demon King's whereabouts; all that remained was to devise a plan to capture the demon. However, his excitement was quickly cut short as Ilia continued speaking.
"But the Tyrannical Demon King isn't easy to catch. Aside from being under Maou Saoto's protection, she can shapeshift into a man and is skilled with a sword. I couldn't recognize her at all when she transformed, and I was nearly killed by her."
Rodrick's smile faded instantly. Everything was starting to connect: Rud's death, the chaos in the Bloody Forest, and the Tyrannical Demon King—whose power rivaled that of the Great Demon King. It was now clear why the chances of escape were so high. All these factors aligned with their objective of reaching Queen Lumina's castle via Miltia. A grin spread across the man's face as he realized how Maou Saoto thought.
("Interesting, Maou Saoto... You really paved the way for her... But you overlooked a few crucial details... Let's see just how far you two can get...")