Us

The room was quiet except for the faint rustle of papers on the desk. Mira remained frozen in her spot, still reeling from the revelation about her survival, while Kael and Lian cautiously observed the Demon King.

Finally, Videl spoke again, his voice calm but carrying a weight that made the air seem thicker.

“You know,” he began, “I was once a human, just like you.”

Lian froze, incredulous. “I… I can’t believe it…”

Videl didn’t flinch. “I hated the system of so-called heroes. Those who claim to protect the weak while demanding money, fame, and rewards in return. I wanted to overturn it. But I was weak… too weak to change anything on my own. That is why I sought the help of a witch—the same one guarding this castle—to transform me into a demon.”

Lian’s eyes narrowed. He instinctively reached out with his mind-reading ability, trying to pierce Videl’s thoughts. But as soon as he attempted it, he felt a wall, cold and unyielding. He frowned. “Why… why can’t I read your mind?”

Videl’s gaze met his, unwavering. “Because my power cancels out the abilities of others when they are used on me. Your gift—your mind-reading—cannot pierce my thoughts.”

Lian blinked, processing this. That’s… impossible. But somehow it makes sense. He’s too calm, too confident. He looked at Kael and Mira. “Even though that power is excellent for defense, it’s very weak offensively. That’s why I needed to become a demon—to massively increase my brute strength. But even that wasn’t enough… I needed more. I needed others. I needed an army.”

Kael frowned, her voice sharp. “Wait… so all this time, we’ve been living a lie. We thought the Demon King was evil, that he had to be defeated… but… you can’t be good… you’ve killed people!”

Videl’s expression remained composed. “Actually… no one—except for Mira’s mother—has died because of me or my army. That is a fact. I have always been careful to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.”

Kael’s mouth opened, then closed again. There was no argument that could counter that. She opened her mouth, hesitated, and shut it again, frustrated but unable to refute the logic.

Videl leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands together. “However, this careful, ‘soft’ approach has not yielded many results. In order to avoid direct violence, I had to operate from the shadows. And even now, heroes continue to act as they please, bullying the populace and bending the rules for their own gain. Not much has changed.”

Lian felt a cold tension rise in his chest. His fists clenched. “So… everything is useless? This world will never heal? The people will always be under the control of the heroes? That can’t be… it can’t be…”

The Demon King paused, allowing the weight of Lian’s despair to settle over the room. He leaned forward slightly, his eyes locking onto the young man’s, steady and unwavering.

“No,” he said finally, his voice soft but carrying an unmistakable authority. “I believe there is still hope. And that hope… is you.”

The words hung in the air. Lian’s mind raced. He could feel the truth behind them—no empty rhetoric, no manipulation. The Demon King was saying something real, something personal.

Kael glanced at Lian and Mira, her eyes wide. “Us… hope? How… how can we be hope?”

Mira, still pale but listening intently, whispered, “Can we really do that?”

Kael nodded firmly. “We’ve come this far. We can’t let fear stop us now.”

Videl, still seated at his messy desk, allowed himself a faint smile. “Good. That is all I needed to hear. Remember, the greatest threat to the world is not always evil. Sometimes, it is the complacency of those who call themselves protectors. If you can challenge that, even a little, then perhaps the cycle can be broken.”

Mira exhaled slowly, the tension in her shoulders loosening slightly. She could feel a faint warmth returning, not just in her body from the absence of the cold winter memories, but in her chest. Lian’s words and Kael’s encouragement had reminded her—reminded them all—why they had chosen this path.