A name that did not represent my feelings

“A-Alice?!”

“Don’t you dare utter my name, new Demon King.”

Alice Ashglade, who was the protagonist and hero of my favorite web novel Tales of Tasia, was pointing her sword at my throat. Her white blouse was smeared with blood and dirt while her red skirt was tattered. On her fair skin were bruises and cuts which made me believe that she was involved in a fight not too long ago.

I sensed a drop of sweat rolling down my face.

Carefully and without making any sudden movements, I glanced at my surroundings only to realize that a crowd of people, dressed like commoners from medieval times, had formed a circle around Alice and me. I couldn’t really tell at that moment but it seemed like some buildings were about to collapse or were already destroyed.

I also spotted Alice’s companions who were all in fighting stance with their eyes locked on me.

There was the mature and bulky woman Sophia Soff, who was the heavy armored tank of the party, acting as the shield whereas the priest Harald Hest, a middle-aged and frail-looking man, stood behind her and pointed his staff at me. Beside Harald was the young mage Zera Zabi, who was prepared to cast a magic attack based on the magic circles beneath her feet.

Some members of Alice’s party were partially or fully covered in armor which made Alice stand out even more because she wore nothing to protect her.

“I don’t need armor. Because no demon will be able to lay even a single finger on me.”

I recalled one of my favorite lines in Tales of Tasia, making me giggle a little.

“You’re laughing?”

Her tone was still cold as Alice raised her sword in the air.

“W-wait!”

Hurriedly, I dodged Alice’s sword by pathetically rolling to the side.

“Don’t move, you filthy demon.” she ordered sharply as she raised her sword once more.

I looked at the black sword again. At the center of the hilt, there was a red gem pulsing with dark energy. And just like a vein, a red line ran down the middle of the black blade.

A shiver ran down my spine.

My body felt cold but that was not the reason. Rather, it was due to the sinister aura of the sword. But then again, this was what I’d expect from the cursed sword Teufelsjaeger.

“T-there must be a misunderstanding!” I pleaded desperately.

I noticed my voice cracking. But whose voice wouldn’t be in such a situation?

“Misunderstanding…? What’s there to misunderstand?”

Alice’s eyes sharpened.

“When there’s a demon in front of me, then the only thing to do is to kill it.” she added firmly, tightening her grip on her sword.

Again. She called me a demon.

“Die.”

And before I could even utter another word, Alice already swung her sword at me.

Once again, I rolled away from her attack and clumsily got up. For some reason, my body felt weird… It did not feel like it used to…

Whatever! I had to focus on running away for now!

I didn’t hear anything behind me, nor did I turn around to take a look, however, I sensed Alice and her companions chasing after me.

“!”

Coincidentally, I passed by a shop window. I kept running but it was enough to get a grasp on my reflected outer appearance for the first time:

White hair. Black thick horns on my head. Completely black eyes. A thin and long black tail with a triangular-shaped ending. The body also appeared way fitter but that was not the problem! I was practically naked! I didn’t know if I could call myself lucky, but I had just a towel wrapped around my waist and below that barely covered something that shouldn’t be shown off in public.

But as I tried to come to terms with my current appearance, I heard a faint chant similar to a magic spell.

“…fireball!”

“What the hell?!”

I jumped to the side to avoid the human-sized fireball that was cast by Zera.

“Tch… He’s quicker than I thought…”

I could hear her letting out her frustration.

“Hey, Alice.”

That voice… It’s also just like it was described in the web novel. It was a gentle and calm voice belonging to the young man who fought alongside Alice at the front as a fellow swordsman:

Jean Jesser.

As much as I hated to admit it but he was truly the perfect guy. He had the looks with his smooth black hair and kind blue eyes. He was kind, smart, reliable, just and his swordsmanship was only second to Alice’s. Heck, it’s no wonder that many people often mistook him for the hero.

“Isn’t it weird? Despite being a demon, he’s running. Usually, demons have an easier time escaping by using their wings to fly away from the scene.” Jean said pensively.

Wings…?

“Doesn’t matter.” Alice replied.

“Zera, can you buff me? And Harald-“

“We’re on it!” the two responded firmly to Alice’s requests.

“A demon can fly, swim, run or do whatever it wants. The moment it enters my field of vision, its destiny is set in stone.” Alice declared as she readied her body for a leap.

“Enhanced speed!” Zera shouted.

Alice’s body began to glow the moment a buff was cast on her.

And in the blink of an eye, she closed the large distance between her and me.

Well, if it weren’t for my…

“?”

I took her by surprise when I suddenly spread my black bat-like wings and took off.

“Six wings…?” I muttered baffled.

Normally, demons possessed two wings. Only the Demon King was an exception. The Demon King had six.

Just like me now.

However, I had no time to think about it. After all, Alice was launching herself into the air like a rocket!

“Ugh!” I groaned slightly while I dodged her sword again.

Weirdly enough, flying with my wings felt like second nature.

“…”

After landing on the roof of a building, Alice shot an intimidating glare at me. And while I observed her, I finally caught a glimpse of the whole place.

Initially, I thought I landed in a random city but that was not the case. That “city” was just a small district. It was a district that took up as much space as the castle I saw in the distance.

“Esfar…” I muttered in astonishment.

It was the name of the biggest human kingdom in Tasia and the place of the final showdown between Alice and the Demon King. It was also the last place a demon should visit on its own.

“I won’t miss the next time.”

The air around Alice changed. My body felt tense even though she was far away from me. I had the advantage in the air and yet, I believed her words. I didn’t even realize it at first, but my body began to back away instinctively.

Still, I wore a lightly excited smile. I mean, this was exactly like in the novel! That aura she gave off was like those times when she was about to kill her enemy! I used to get hyped at those moments because she was so badass and now, I was blessed with the chance to witness it in person!

“Wait a moment…”

It was at that moment that I realized that I was actually the target and that it was my life that was in danger. In panic, I thought about a way to get away and even looked at my naked body for any missing clues.

I remembered that in the other Isekai stories I had read back then, there was always someone who guided the main character before they got sent to their new world. Be it an administrator or a god.

But in my case, there was nothing akin to it.

“Shit! I’d even be satisfied with knowing my status-“

And then, a screen popped up right in front of me.

“Haha… How could I forget about that…?” I laughed wryly.

It was the status window that every person could look at whenever they called for it.

Each person could only view their own window and look at the information which mostly showed basic stuff that wasn’t that relevant. But that didn’t mean that the status window was completely useless.

It also showed something that was unthinkable in my previous world.

“That is… my skill…?”

I was confused but excited at the same time.

“It’s over.” Alice stated, swinging Teufelsjaeger at me.

I backed away and put up my arms out of reflex, shouting the name of my skill. I was surely not a fan of the name, but I had no other choice.

“H-Hero Slayer!”