I sat on a rock in a meadow far from the Royal Capital.
Before me, I could see two figures from behind: Logan, the elven chief, and Yura, the Great Spirit’s Avatar. Straining my ears, I caught the drift of their conversation.
"The flow is essentially like this. Do you grasp it?"
"Instructional content comprehended. Commencing practical application."
Yura nodded and began to manipulate her magic power. A tree sprouted from the ground, splitting the earth as it rose. In the blink of an eye, the sapling surged, reaching a height that rivaled ancient giants.
(The magic formula is stable. Remarkable work.)
Yura was exercising spirit magic, a technique she had only just learned from Logan. As she was an avatar of the Great Spirit, her affinity for such magic was nothing short of perfect. In terms of sheer aptitude, she likely surpassed even the elves.
It was Logan who had first proposed this, suggesting we let her study the art. Yura herself had been keen on the idea, so we had put the plan into motion immediately. According to her, she found a sense of joy in the expansion of her capabilities. Since this morning, she had been mastering various spells with that same mechanical efficiency. Logan was also uncharacteristically enthusiastic, clearly enjoying his role as a teacher to such a diligent and talented student.
(A peaceful sight...)
It had been three days since my confrontation with the previous Demon King. Tranquility had returned to the Demon King’s Domain. Thanks to the efforts of the subordinates I had dispatched, the demons and magical beasts running amok across the lands had been neutralized. We were now in the midst of full-scale reconstruction.
When I checked in with my subordinates, they reported no major crises during the cleanup. Even Dolda the Dullahan, whose sanity was always a point of concern, had reportedly fought valiantly to protect the townspeople. Apparently, he had managed to maintain his composure throughout the combat—though he had reportedly reverted to his usual antics the moment he returned. While I didn't quite understand his physiology, it seemed Dolda had done his best in his own way.
I looked down at the glass in my hand. It contained fruit wine treated with holy aura, one of my experimental attempts to create food and drink that the undead could actually enjoy. I had yet to succeed with beverages, but I hoped this would serve as a breakthrough.
Just as I went to take a sip, a strange presence manifested behind me. I turned around without changing my seated posture.
Standing there was a tall woman clad in a black dress. Her skin was a pale grey, framed by cascades of deep navy hair. Of the two horns protruding from the side of her head, one was broken, appearing as if it had been severed by a blade. In stark contrast to her youthful appearance, her golden eyes held a cunning, ancient brilliance.
She was watching me with an amused expression.
It was the previous Demon King.
This was no hallucination. The woman I was certain I had killed stood directly before me. I was paralyzed by bewilderment, but she simply raised a hand in a casual greeting.
"Well now, it has been three days, has it not?"
"............"
I couldn't find the words to respond. Without realizing it, I had tilted my glass, spilling wine onto the grass. My boots were getting wet, but I didn't have the mental capacity to care.
Noticing the tension, Logan and Yura looked back. Logan’s face twisted into an expression of sheer disbelief. He silently shifted into a combat stance, but I held him back with a sharp look. Moving carelessly now would be dangerous. The Demon King’s attention was fixed entirely on me; it was better not to provoke her.
I asked the most obvious question. "Why are you alive?"
"I do not quite understand it myself. When I came to, I had simply been resurrected," she said with a troubled air, before launching into an explanation of the events leading up to this moment.
Supposedly, after dying in our duel, she had woken up in the Former Demon Territory about half a day ago. Her body, which had crumbled to ash, was fully restored, and her memories remained intact. Confused by her own existence, she had wandered the desolate lands until she sensed my location and came to find me.
"You are a Sage, are you not? Surely you can solve the mystery of this resurrection?"
"Even if you say that..."
I analyzed her condition from a purely magical perspective. She had undergone further mutations since our fight three days ago. While she possessed immense magic power, it was being suppressed naturally, almost blending into the environment. Had she been like this before, I would have sensed her arrival instantly. There was no doubt that her nature had changed.
"Come now, show me the intellect of my arch-nemesis."
"I’m thinking. You don't need to tell me."
Ignoring her teasing, I layered my observations and constructed a hypothesis.
(...Could I have been the cause?)
I had destroyed the horn that served as her Resurrection Catalyst. That had been a necessity to kill her, as it shattered the stability of the spell anchoring her to this world. At that moment, her body would have been in a desperate state, instinctively seeking a replacement for the lost catalyst. To use an analogy, it was like a drowning person gasping for air. Her will hadn't been involved; it was a biological, magical instinct for survival.
In that state, I had run her through with my keepsake sword. That was the turning point. The sword shared a deep, conceptual bond with the Demon King. At the moment of the finishing blow, the blade likely acted as a substitute catalyst. Although she had died a second time, the magic formula itself had been revived, resulting in a delayed resurrection.
"That is my theory. Are you satisfied?"
"Hmm. I do not quite grasp the complexities of magic, but if you say so, it is likely correct."
The Demon King groaned, wrinkling her brow. She looked like she hadn't understood a word of it.
(Now that I think about it, she always lacked theoretical knowledge.)
The spells she cast without incantations were guided purely by instinct. She was a being of raw, natural talent. Even the Chains of Light and the holy power she had manifested during our fight were closer to innate abilities than systematized magic. My technical explanation had clearly gone over her head.
(I see...)
I scrutinized her further. I could no longer sense any connection between her and the keepsake sword. The catalyst’s function had been spent. This resurrection was a one-time miracle. She was now a living being existing without the need for an external anchor. Normally, her resurrection spell should have collapsed the moment she turned to ash, but the restructuring triggered by the sword had perfected the process.
It was hard to believe, but the reality was standing right in front of me. This wasn't something anyone could have achieved by design; it was a freak occurrence born from a series of impossible coincidences.
(...Is this also the work of the Will of the World?)
I was beginning to suspect that force behind every major event. She contained the ashes of the current Hero and the Saint within her. They were the chosen ones, empowered by miracles. Perhaps that power had activated at the moment of her death, fueled by her final feelings of regret. It was a plausible, if frustrating, explanation.
I could accept the fact that she was here, for now. But I had to know her intent.
"Why come here?" I asked. "Do you intend to resume our fight to the death?"
"Good heavens, no. Even with borrowed power, I was defeated by you. I am not so unsightly as to refuse to admit defeat."
She shook her head. I had sensed as much; there wasn't a trace of hostility in her. Her tone and mannerisms were surprisingly mild—so much so that I found myself wondering if she was truly the same person.
"I have retired from being a Demon King. I have no desire to fight you, nor do I have any interest in resuming world conquest."
"I see..."
I felt a weight lift from my chest. If another war were to break out now, everything would fall into chaos. I had too many other matters to attend to. I wanted this chapter to be closed.
Then, she flashed a meaningful smile and pointed a finger at me.
"More than that, I am interested in your future."
"My future?"
"I wish to see what kind of path a successor with such different ambitions will walk. I want to witness it for myself."
She spoke with a sense of pride, showing no sign of jest. She was genuinely invested in my progress.
"I intended to die a beautiful death, yet here I am, back among the living. It is a bit embarrassing, but I have decided to simply embrace it. I shall enjoy my second... no, my third life."
"Wait. Surely you don't mean—"
"I have already chosen a place to stay. I shall make use of the territory I once ruled. We are neighbors now."
She was clearly set on the idea. She brushed off my protests with a friendly, almost familiar attitude. It was an immense headache, but she had clearly already made up her mind.
Then, her smile faded. She leaned in, her mystical eyes peering deep into my empty sockets. For a moment, she radiated the chilling aura of her former self.
"However... should you ever grow weak and spineless, I shall reclaim the Demon King’s Army without hesitation. Never forget that."
"Demon King, you—"
I started to argue, but she pressed a finger under my jaw, tilting my head back to silence me.
"You are the Demon King now. Call me Diera. It is a name I abandoned an eternity ago, but it suits a woman who has become a nobody."
The former Demon King—Diera—pulled her hand away and crossed her arms. A small, playful smirk played on her lips.
"Current Demon King, I look forward to our future acquaintance."
"...And I to yours," I replied reluctantly.
I knew I wouldn't win an argument against her. Furthermore, if she truly had no intention of conquest, there was no reason to kill her. Based on her words, we could be considered neutral parties, perhaps even neighbors on the verge of being allies. I couldn't fully trust her yet, but I was willing to wait and see.
(Reconciling with the previous Demon King... what a strange turn of events.)
The thought was still hard to process, but the reality was undeniable. On a personal level, I didn't feel this was a bad outcome. Our battle three days ago felt like it had settled the debt between us. I wasn't forgiving her past atrocities, but I found myself willing to accept this new neighbor. It felt like a step forward, mentally and spiritually.
It was a bizarre conclusion, but it felt right.
(The world rarely unfolds as one desires.)
Looking back, that had always been the case. My life had been a constant series of hardships and unexpected turns. Perhaps I was simply born under an unlucky star.
I sighed and looked at Diera, shrugging my shoulders in resignation.