0.0000001% Demon King - 0DK Chapter 23: Hero Sinclair (2) (Part 1)

“What?”

Bathesia’s face twisted.

“Defeat the Demon King… What are you talking about?”

“I understand.”

However, the hero, Sinclair, nodded and lifted her sword. A sacred light exploded, forming a gigantic golden sword.

“Fall, evil beings.”

“Eek!”

Kwaang!

Bathesia barely managed to block the swing of the golden sword, but the shock was too much for her to withstand, forcing her to her knees as she coughed up blood.

“Dam… damn!”

“Bathesia!”

“The nickname ‘Demon King Slayer’ isn’t just for show, huh?”

Bathesia sneered bitterly. The magical power inherent within her was almost entirely depleted. The pride of a Demon King, a ruler, was being torn to shreds.

“But what are you doing…”

“…Understood, Karos.”

As Bathesia attempted to yell at Karos, who was being protected behind the hero, Lillis quickly covered her mouth. Noticing Karos’s desperate signals, she nodded.

“Let’s retreat.”

“Retreat? You think he’ll just let us go?”

“There must be a way for the Demon King. Let’s flee for now.”

“…Damn.”

Bathesia scowled but did not resist. It was clear they could not win this battle as is.

As Bathesia waved her hand, darkness erupted, obscuring their view.

“Do you think you can escape my grasp?”

As Sinclair raised her sword, light poured out. The light soaring to the skies was majestic, almost like a divine revelation. At that moment, Karos grabbed her trouser leg.

“Y-Your Highness…”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“I feel faint…”

Karos’s complexion was pale. Sinclair’s expression changed, and she dissipated the light to touch Karos’s face. A soft touch was felt.

“Could it be that the Demon King…”

“Yes… He did something strange to me…”

Of course, he wasn’t the Demon King. Karos was about to die simply because he was beside Sinclair. Despite having his magic hidden and possessing almost no magical power, being a demon near the holy light was unbearable.

“Please… take me to the village…”

“Understood.”

Sinclair sheathed her sword. Karos sighed in relief internally.

‘I’ve somehow managed to survive.’

And then he lost consciousness.

**** ****

When he opened his eyes, what he saw was a wooden ceiling. Karos slowly got up. Looking around, he saw Sinclair sleeping on the adjacent bed.

He wanted to stab her neck right then and there, but he knew better. Heroes, even in sleep, were not easily killed.

“Lillis.”

Instead, Karos whispered quietly. A buzzing noise filled his head, followed by a faint voice.

– My Lord… Is that you?

– Eh, what? You’re not dead?

“Of course, I’m not dead. Don’t raise your voice. The hero is right next to us.”

Hearing Karos, Bathesia immediately shut her mouth. Then she whispered as softly as a mosquito’s wingbeat.

– What are you planning? Why suddenly pretend to be a human…

– Did it go well?

“For now, yes. Considering I’m not dead.”

– Don’t just talk amongst yourselves. Explain it to me too.

“It’s exactly as you see. I acted like a human.”

Karos fiddled with the necklace. He had no magical power. His demonic energy was almost nonexistent. With the necklace on, his demonic energy seemed suppressed enough that even a hero might not notice him, making him appear like an ordinary person. Bathesia grumbled.

– That’s not what’s important. Why did you do it?

“There was no other way to survive.”

If they had fought directly, they all would have died. Bathesia, a former Sovereign, stood no chance in a one-on-one battle against the Demon King Slayer.

“Honestly, it was fifty-fifty. Although heroes prioritize eradicating demons over rescuing civilians, based on what I’ve heard of the Demon King Slayer’s personality, it was still a gamble. Fortunately, it worked out.”

– I see… So, escaping is all that’s left.

“No. That’s not all.”

Karos smirked bitterly. The biggest issue lay elsewhere.

– What… Oh.

“The hero knows there’s a Demon King here. What happens to that information?”

– …This is troublesome.

“One problem after another.”

Karos clicked his tongue. Lillis asked in a serious tone.

– What do you plan to do?

“I’m not sure.”

Stopping the spread of information would require killing the hero, but killing the Demon King Slayer seemed like a dark path with no end in sight.

“Um…”

Suddenly, Sinclair murmured in her sleep. Karos hurriedly ended the communication. Sinclair sat up, blinking her golden eyes before muttering at Karos.

“A stranger…”

“Y-Your Highness?”

Startled by Sinclair’s motion to grab her sword, Karos backed away. As her focus sharpened, she exclaimed.

“…Ah. The man from yesterday.”

“Yes. Thank you, Your Highness.”

Karos bowed. Sinclair fiddled with her tousled hair. Despite its messy state, her golden hair shone brilliantly, sure to evoke envy among women.

“Thanks to you, I was able to escape the Demon King’s clutches.”

“Don’t mention it. That’s what heroes are for.”

Sinclair responded with unmatched confidence. As she uncovered the blanket, a cute pink pajama with frills was revealed.

“…”

“Why?”

“Ah, nothing.”

Karos shook his head, not wanting to provoke her and risk being beheaded.

“Then, if it’s alright, may I ask? Why were you captured by the Demon King?”

“Ah. Yes.”

Karos swallowed. This was the crucial moment.

“I am an adventurer. I was traveling the world with my companions. But…”

Karos continued without pause. The important thing was to make the hero believe he was just a civilian, a simple traveler.

“So, we came here. We entered the forest intending to hunt some monsters, and then suddenly, we encountered the Demon King.”

Hyung_Otaku

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

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