A long-fuse, straightforward hero and a shrewd, calculating Demon King who always loses his composure around the hero
After the Demon King was defeated, peace returned to the continent of Xilaipu.
The hero thought he could finally start the retirement he'd always dreamed of.
Instead, this was what awaited him:
A shabby bundle thrown down from atop the city gate.
The soldiers, who had been spared from becoming fuel for the war only because the hero had stepped in, looked down at him and spoke with arrogant contempt.
"Hero, the Demon King is still alive. That poses a threat to peace and stability on the continent of Xilaipu."
"Please go kill the Demon King."
Behind the tightly shut gates, crowds of knights and mages stood fully armed and ready for battle.
Inside the city, people sang and danced, celebrating the Demon King's defeat.
Beneath the gates, the hero returned from the decisive battle. Blood bloomed across his battered armor as he dragged his wounded body and bloodstained sword away from the city, his back turned to it.
Knock, knock.
The gates of the Demon King's castle slowly swung open.
The Demon King, who had "retreated" during their decisive battle, still looked immaculate and as haughty as ever.
The hero gripped his sword hilt, feeling that everything had lost its appeal.
The Demon King calmly ignored the blade that had slain countless foes and wiped the blood beneath the hero's eye. "How did you end up in such a state?"
The hero said nothing.
The Demon King caressed his face, smiling tenderly. "Good boy, this is the true face of the world."
"Look, my castle has stood for thousands of years atop the richest vein of magic crystal ore on the continent of Xilaipu."
The Demon King leaned close to the hero, their noses touching and breaths mingling. Their black eyes reflected one another.
"Do you want to kill me, my dear hero?"
Much later,
the Demon King told the hero, "In the eyes of the greedy, I occupy the richest vein on the continent, so I became the Demon King."
"But beneath that vein lies a danger that the shallow-minded cannot understand. People chase superficial gains, like plants reaching for sunlight."
"Greed knows no bounds, and it never ends."
"I used to think human society was just a pointless game of desire."
"My hero, my sun,"
The Demon King kissed the hero's forehead. "From now on, I'm afraid I'll have to become just another ordinary man, lost in desire..."
A story I wrote for myself.
A short story? A sweet treat!
Theme: Maintain your independence, love yourself, and love life
