The Masochistic Four Heavenly Kings—that was their role as the Demon King's subordinates. The battle with the last of them, Pandora-san, had finally begun. As far as I knew, she was the most deranged pervert of the lot.
I was currently alone, facing her without any allies. I wasn't entirely sure how to handle this.
If this were a matter of pure combat ability, I wouldn't stand a chance against Pandora-san even if I were decked out in the world's most powerful gear. However, we were in the middle of a game of "Playing Hero." Operating on that premise, I assumed the game was rigged in my favor.
Judging by the mysterious message windows, I probably just had to deplete her set HP to win. Regardless, I decided to do what I could. Thinking of it in RPG terms, it all depended on Pandora-san’s speed, but I really wanted to land the first blow.
[Pandora of Madness appeared!]
[Pandora waits with predatory eyes, eager for your attack!]
Why were three out of the four Heavenly Kings taking a defensive stance? She stood there with her arms spread wide, but her eyes were gleaming with a predatory light, as if she were plotting something.
Was she waiting to counter? No, there was no point in overthinking it. I decided to try attacking with the strangely light sword in my hand.
[Hero Kaito attacks!]
[Pandora used her high speed to 'maneuver her vital spots into the path of the blade'!]
"Aaaaahhh!"
[Critical Hit! 9,999 damage dealt to Pandora!]
[Pandora is ecstatic!]
I wanted to go home so badly. Seeing Pandora-san wearing a look of pure bliss while letting out a strangely erotic scream made me feel that from the depths of my soul.
"Wonderful! To think you could grant me such pleasu— I mean, such damage in a single strike! You truly are a Hero!"
She definitely almost said "pleasure." There was no doubt about it.
"However, I won't be defeated quite so easily! I believe the problem lies with your weapon... Very well! As a special treat, I shall provide you with a more powerful tool! Come, take whichever one you like!"
"...Um, these are 'all whips.' What exactly are you trying to make me do, lady?"
"Haa... haa... To be tormented so openly by Miyama-sama... what a magnificent role this is!"
"Control yourself, you freak."
"Nnhyaaa!? V-Verbal abuse too?! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"..."
It was no use. This pervert was invincible. If I stayed here any longer, I felt like I would lose something precious to my human dignity.
Having reconfirmed just how uncontrollable Pandora-san was, I muttered a single word.
"...Alice."
"Yes, yes. Come on, Pandora... House!"
"Wait! Sha-Shaltier-sama?! But the play— the battle is still in pro—"
"I didn't tell you to turn this into a dungeon session! I told you a dozen times not to go overboard!"
[Pandora was hauled away by Alice.]
[Pandora has been defeated!]
In a way, it had been a tragic and grueling battle. And what was with this message window? It was still appearing even now. It was pointlessly high-spec... I was certain someone—specifically the Natural God—was manually operating the thing.
Having struck down the Four Heavenly Kings, who were nightmarish in their own way, I finally reached the Demon King’s Castle. I couldn't help but feel that my battles up to this point had just been me being forced into non-consensual roleplay...
Well, I decided to forget about that. Honestly, I didn't want to dwell on it. More importantly, it was time to face the Demon King.
I wondered who had been cast in the role? Given the lineup of the Heavenly Kings, Alice would have been the natural choice for the final boss, but since she was technically one of my allies, it had to be someone else.
Among the Six Kings, Megiddo-san had the most "Demon King" look. He could transform, and he seemed like the type who would enthusiastically dive into this kind of game. Or perhaps Kuro? Even with two of the Six Kings and the First Hero on my side, Kuro would still carry the weight of a true final boss. Plus, she had a transformation too.
With those thoughts in mind, I proceeded through the lavish castle, which was strangely devoid of monsters. Eventually, I reached a massive set of doors at the heart of the fortress.
Would I find a demon or a snake behind them?
I slowly pushed open the double doors, which were surprisingly light despite their size, and entered the throne room where the Demon King awaited.
"...Do your best, me... It's for Miyama-kun's sake... for Miyama-kun... Ugh, but wearing these clothes triggers my trauma... Hngh... I have to endure..."
"..."
"It brings back so many memories... Why did I... ever do something so stupid... Ugh... I feel like I'm going to be sick..."
"..."
The Demon King was indeed in the throne room. What's more, it was the actual Demon King who had been defeated by the First Hero in the past. However, her face was deathly pale, and as she slumped in her magnificent chair, sobbing to herself, she looked nothing short of pathetic.
"Hey, Alice?"
"What's up?"
"...The Demon King is on the verge of a breakdown. Her spirit is in tatters and we haven't even started fighting yet."
"I went for realism by picking the genuine article, but it looks like I accidentally triggered her PTSD."
I was at a loss. I had played plenty of games in my time, but I had never encountered a final boss who was this close to a total collapse upon their debut. She looked like she was about to burst into tears—actually, she was already crying.
As I stood there, stunned by the miserable sight of the Demon King—or rather, Fia-sensei—she noticed me. She hurriedly tried to fix her posture.
"Y-You have done well to reach me, Hero... urp... To show my respect for your achievement... blegh... I shall personally be your—?!"
As she tried to stand up to deliver her line, she lost her balance and tumbled right off the throne.
"Whoa, Fia-sensei?! Are you okay?!"
"...M-My legs are shaking... I can't stand up."
This was a lost cause. She couldn't fight. There was no way I could bring myself to strike a woman who was in such a state.
Seeing Fia-sensei trembling with a pale face, I rushed to her side, knelt down, and tried to comfort her.
"Fia-sensei, please don't push yourself. Just take a deep breath and try to relax..."
"...If Miyama-kun... hugged me tight, maybe the shaking would stop..."
"...Hmm?"
For a second, I thought I heard a bit of a calculating tone in her voice, but I didn't think her pallor or her trembling were an act.
What was the right move here? Well, I couldn't just leave her like this. Alice was the one who started this, and I was the one who went along with it, so I was partially responsible. If a hug would help her calm down...
I gave in to Fia-sensei's request and gently wrapped my arms around her slender frame.
"Is... is this okay?"
"...Yes... thank you... Miyama-kun, you're so warm."
I really didn't know how things had ended up like this. We called it "Playing Hero," but all I had done was endure forced masochism and end up hugging the Demon King.
[The Demon King Fia looks like she wants to join your party.]
[Will you add her to your party?]
The message window really didn't know how to read the room. The person behind this was definitely the Natural God.
[Demon King Fia joined the party!]
[A luxurious bed appeared!]
Wait, what? Why a bed?
[Do you challenge the Night Battle?]
[Yes]
[Tonight is going to be a real treat, isn't it?]
Hey, hold on a minute! What was with this message?! And why was the window selecting the answer for me?!
"Wait, Fia-sensei?!"
"...Warm me up."
"No, no, no! What are you saying?! Alice, stop— Huh? She's gone?!"
I was suddenly on top of the bed. Fia-sensei, her face flushed and her eyes moist, began to crawl toward me. I looked around for help, but Alice, Noin-san, and Isis-san were nowhere to be seen.
"Miyama-kun..."
"Wait a second! Stop! Sto-o-o-o-oppp!"
"Waaaahhh!"
"Whoa! What's the matter, Kaito-san?"
"...Eh? What?"
Startled by the voice, I looked around and saw Alice tilting her head in confusion behind the counter of her general store.
"...Did you have a nightmare or something?"
"Huh? What? Wait... was I sleeping?"
"Yeah, for about thirty minutes. You were napping away on the counter."
"So, everything that just happened... was a dream?"
"I don't know the details, but that sounds like a dream to me."
"...I see."
The moment I realized the truth, the tension drained from my body. It had been a dream. In a way, I was relieved... though a small part of me felt a tiny bit disappointed.
Regardless, I was glad. The Masochistic Heavenly Kings and the pitiful Demon King didn't actually exist.
"Ah, by the way, changing the subject..."
"...Yeah?"
"Kaito-san, would you like to try 'Playing Hero' for real?"
"..."
I looked at Alice’s bright, beaming smile and let out a weary, wry laugh.
"Listen closely... 'Absolutely not'."
"...Oh?"
Main Heroine (lol): "...I was waiting in the wings as the hidden boss, but I never even got to appear..."