I Saved the Demon King Who Was About to Commit Suicide – Chapter 6

After cleaving through the endlessly emerging demon hordes for eight long years,

the number of demon corpses could have piled up a mountain, yet the battlefield was still a tempest of blood.

Every step forward was met with continuing assaults from the Demon King’s army, hindering the Apostles’ approach to the Demon King.

There were times when battles dragged on for days and nights, leading to exhaustion so profound that I nearly lost consciousness and was almost killed by a demon’s blade.

In such a grim place, it was no surprise that Evan’s mind had frayed over the eight years of turmoil.

The moments he contemplated giving up were countless.

There were even times when he wished to end his own life just to find peace in sleep.

Yet the singular reason Evan hadn’t completely lost his sanity was simple.

“Evan.”

His comrades, who had stood by him through this relentless battlefield for eight years.

They were the reason he kept moving forward.

“You look really tired; how about getting some rest?”

“We’re almost there. I’m alright.”

Evan pulled the sword he had embedded in a demon’s body out.

He had defeated Baal, the Demon King’s direct guard and commander of the 1st Legion.

As he said, it was only a matter of time before they reached the Demon King.

The long journey they had undertaken was finally about to bear fruit.

“Didn’t you say that managing your condition on the battlefield is more important than anything? Athena and I will handle the rest, so you should rest with the others.”

Evan glanced around as Lucanio spoke, nodding in agreement.

“…Understood. If it seems dangerous at all, just signal.”

“Don’t worry too much. All the commanders are dead now, so there’s no real danger as long as it’s not the Demon King.”

Lucanio stroked his white beard with a knowing grin.

“Take care.”

After offering a brief bow, Evan searched for a decent spot and began to stoke a fire.

Even though he had been told to rest, his comrades must be just as exhausted as he was.

Crackle, crackle.

After several attempts, Evan finally managed to kindle a fire, plopping down on the ground.

“Oh, fire!”

“Hey, little one. Did you start the fire?”

Soon, all the Apostles except Athena and Lucanio gathered around Evan’s spot.

“Yeah. You all looked tired, so I figured we’d rest here today.”

“Not a bad idea.”

Alastor glanced at the campfire before reclining.

Clearly, everyone was pretty worn out, with one by one plopping down onto the ground.

In the midst of this, the Saintess approached Evan, asking,

“Is it okay if I sit next to you?”

“Of course. Would you like me to spread some cloth for you…?”

“I’m fine. Right now, I just want to rest more than worry about getting my clothes dirty.”

With a gentle smile, she seated herself beside Evan.

He looked at the Saintess next to him and spoke up.

“…Even so, spreading something might help you rest. The ground could be hard, making it uncomfortable to sleep…”

“I’ve grown used to sleeping on hard ground. A soft surface might feel odd now.”

“Is that so?”

Having spent so long together with the Saintess, Evan knew she wouldn’t easily bend once she set her mind on something, so he let the matter go.

“…By the way, it seems we’re really close now.”

At her words, Evan turned his gaze to where she was looking.

That direction revealed a towering spire and fortress looming before them.

Eight years ago, they had gazed at that tower and fortress from a distance, simply feeling it was far away.

Now, they were right up against it, and Evan nodded.

“Yes. If we can just defeat the Demon King, this journey will truly be over.”

“That’s right. All the commanders are dead now.”

“We can soon return home…”

As Evan spoke, he felt a sensation on his shoulder, interrupting his words.

Looking over, he saw the Saintess had leaned her head against his shoulder.

“…I’m feeling a bit tired. May I borrow your shoulder for a moment?”

“Of course. Make yourself comfortable.”

“Thank you.”

The Saintess nestled against his shoulder, yawning softly, and shut her eyes.

Soon, the rhythmic sound of her breathing filled the air.

‘…Looks like she’s asleep.’

After all, she had been overextending herself treating injured comrades all this time.

It was no surprise she was worn out.

‘Hope you sleep well.’

Evan gently lay the sleeping Saintess down, using his own legs as a pillow for her.

She remained undisturbed, her breathing steady even as she was lowered.

‘She sleeps so soundly.’

Just for a moment, Evan watched over her, brushing her hair away gently.

The white strands flowed like a wave under his touch.

“Has the Saintess already fallen asleep?”

At the voice coming from behind, Evan hastily withdrew his hand from her hair and shifted his attention.

Macanio, covered in demon blood, along with Athena, was returning.

“Yeah. She looked pretty exhausted.”

“It’s only natural considering how tirelessly she treated everyone. Let her sleep. You should get some rest too.”

“I still have things to do…”

“Hey now. I gave you time to rest, so what do you mean you won’t?”

“…Understood.”

Overpowered by Macanio, Evan surrendered and laid down on the ground.

Contrary to his worries about unfinished tasks, fatigue washed over him as soon as he lay down.

“…Old man.”

“Got something to say, Evan?”

“I’ll sleep for a bit, so please wake me when the time comes.”

“All the nearby demons are dead, so don’t worry about that. Just sleep already.”

After receiving a final confirmation from Lucanio, Evan closed his eyes.

Perhaps due to not having slept properly for so long,

sleep felt wonderfully sweet.

He dreamed of pleasant things.

*

After defeating the commander of the 1st Legion, a relatively quiet week passed.

The Apostles had taken adequate rest as they traveled along the path, and eventually arrived at the first structure they had seen upon entering the Demon Realm.

The Demon King’s fortress, Osiris.

Walls extending beyond sight of where they began. Towering over them was a massive spire rising upside down.

No matter how far they craned their necks, they couldn’t see the end of that majestic tower, making the Apostles feel small and in awe.

“…We can finally see the end.”

Athena murmured softly while gazing at the fortress.

“I really hope it’s the end.”

Evan pushed against the massive, closed doors of the fortress with all his might.

Creeeaaak-!

Fortunately, the door opened with a heavy sound under his force, not locked.

“Let’s go in.”

With Evan’s words, the Apostles entered through the opened door, displaying signs of tension.

*

Inside the fortress, where not a single ray of light penetrated, visibility was non-existent.

Using her powers, the Saintess created a light, illuminating the dark fortress.

“My goodness…”

Sio gazed at the now-lit interior of the fortress with a face full of shock.

From the entrance, a stench of blood filled the air, and on one wall hung the grotesquely mutilated bodies of people.

It was a sight as if they were looking into a hellscape.

The thought that if they failed to kill the Demon King, they might end up like this sent shivers down their spines.

“From the looks of the wounds, it seems these people died slowly and painfully. How dreadful.”

Ophelin observed the bodies hanging from the wall closely.

“Let’s keep moving. We didn’t come all this way to just gawk at this.”

Seemingly disturbed by the earlier sight, Alastor frowned and pressed onward.

Their advance continued,

as the Apostles walked for what felt like a long time along the passage leading toward the tower.

“This corridor is much longer than I expected.”

After about two hours,

something came into view at the end of their line of sight.

It was an endless spiral staircase.

Even from a glance, it was clear that this staircase led to the highest floor of the tower.

“I think we need to go up here.”

The Saintess lit the way and started forward first, with the other Apostles following her up the stairs.

One floor, then the next.

With each ascent, the suffocating aura of magic dense in the air made Evan’s expression harder.

Cold sweat trickled down his back, and his mouth grew dry.

‘I felt immense pressure when facing the 1st Legion commander, who is said to be the second strongest after the Demon King…’

Yet compared to the Demon King, that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Even though they were still far from reaching the top, the pressure in the air now felt greater than that of the commander.

‘Can we win…?’

All of them shared the same worry lingering in their minds as they continued to ascend the stairs.

Hours passed, though they lost track of time.

Finally, the Apostles reached the top floor.

“Seriously, I can’t see a thing…”

Even with the Saintess illuminating the area, the darkness seemed to swallow the light whole, making everything barely visible.

Feeling uneasy about where the attack could come from, they could not hide their nervousness and prepared for battle.

Suddenly, torches lit up, dispelling the darkness and brightly illuminating the space they were in.

It felt almost like entering a royal audience chamber.

Then, the woman sitting on the throne became visible.

{So you finally came.}

The woman gazed at the Apostles with emotionless eyes and spoke in a dispassionate tone.

The Demon King.

Lucia von Astraea.

She was there.