Chapter 2 – In the Demon City

So, it was really true—the cloak Valkira gave me hid my presence perfectly. I’d thought she might be lying, but no… they were serious about letting me escape.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Verixa. She was just a child. Being a demon wasn’t her fault.

But… even if I wanted to help, what could I do? If all the strong generals died and the Demon Queen herself fell, this place would be doomed. I was just a human. There was no chance I could stop that outcome.

“And after all… they are demons,” I muttered to myself.

I followed the map Valkira had given me.
“So, this is the exit of the demon city. Finally, I can escape from here easily.”

The path led me into a deep forest. Valkira had warned me about it earlier—the “Dark Forest,” created by demons as a natural defense barrier.

As I walked, I noticed slimes slithering across the ground.
“Well… as I checked before, I’m definitely not some genius magician. Maybe my physical ability got enhanced instead? Guess I should test it.”

I charged with the knife Valkira had given me and slashed a slime in half.

Or so I thought.
The truth was… it had been cut down by some invisible force before my blade even touched it.

I stared at the knife.
“Was that… Verixa’s magic? Not me?”

I sighed heavily.
“So my physical strength is still as useless as it was in my previous world. Maybe she really did summon me by mistake. No cheat skills, no powers…”

Still grumbling, I eventually cleared the forest and reached a high cliff. From there, I spotted a massive group of human soldiers marching straight toward the demon city.

“So it’s true… They’re going to wipe out every last demon. I should just leave and head to the nearest human village.”

I turned away, trying to convince myself to move on. But Valkira’s words echoed in my mind:

‘Verixa will be publicly executed… as a symbol of the end of the demon race.’

My steps faltered. My legs trembled. And before I realized it, I wasn’t running toward the village—I was sprinting back to the demon city.

Relief washed over me when I saw the human army hadn’t reached it yet. I hurried to the castle.

At the entrance, Valkira stood on guard. She sensed my presence but couldn’t pinpoint it.
“Who’s there? I know you’re hiding with some kind of item!”

I removed the cloak, revealing myself.

“Human?!” she gasped. “What are you doing here? You should’ve reached the human village by now!”

Panting, I shouted, “Run… Human army… they’re coming to attack!”

“What did you say?” Valkira’s eyes widened. Then—BOOM! A blast echoed from the city gates. Smoke billowed.

“We must hurry! Come with me!” she ordered.

We rushed to the hall. Valkira barked orders at the soldiers to hold the gate, then slammed the doors shut.

“Princess! We must escape—the humans have started their attack!”

Verixa stood by the window, watching the smoke rise. Her small frame trembled, but her voice was steady.
“So, the time has finally come… Valkira, maybe you should leave with the others. Save yourself.”

“What are you saying!?” Valkira snapped. “We can still—”

“No,” Verixa interrupted. Tears glistened in her eyes as she forced a painful smile. “If I run, they’ll hunt us to the very end. I don’t want anyone else to die because of me.”

Valkira froze, lowering her head in silent acceptance.

I sighed loudly.
“First a comedy skit, now a melodrama. Geez… for a kid, you’re really dramatic.”

Verixa blinked. “Human?… You didn’t go to the village?”

“Hey! First of all, are you saying you didn’t notice me standing here? And second—my name isn’t Human. It’s Zacken.”

I walked over, placed my hand gently on hers, and said:
“Don’t worry, kid. Being summoned as a hero—whether by a human princess or a demon princess—means it’s my job to protect them at any cost.”

Her eyes widened.
“Zacken…”

Then she kicked me in the knee. Hard.

“Arghh!” I dropped down, clutching my leg. “What the hell was that for?!”

“What are you saying, stupid human? A mere human can’t save demons. If you can’t even bear that pain, how can I rely on someone like you?”

“You little—!” I raised my voice, only for both of us to notice Valkira chuckling.

We turned to her in surprise.

“Ahh… Sorry. I just couldn’t hold my laugh,” she admitted, struggling to keep her composure.

“What?! This is the first time I’ve ever seen Valkira smile!” Verixa exclaimed, stunned.

Valkira coughed to hide her amusement.
“So, human—sorry, Zacken. How do you plan to resolve this? From what I can see, you don’t look special at all.”

I scratched the back of my head, embarrassed.
“Well… that’s something I still have to figure out.”

“I really did summon the wrong person,” Verixa muttered.

“Hey!!!” I shouted.