The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 121

Chapter 121
## Chapter 121: Didn’t You Promise?!

Upon reaching the location, Berge was met with the sight of a colossal pit where the canyon floor had once been.

The ground was littered with corpses and imperial troops, many covered in gore and weeping from the agony of their wounds.

At the base of that deep indentation, the First Prince held the black mage by the throat, the captive gasping for air.

‘Byrif?’

Already taken?

Berge had never truly believed Byrif would emerge victorious.

However, he hadn’t anticipated such a total collapse so quickly, with everything reduced to rubble.

And it hadn’t even required the combined might of the four royal siblings.

“…Balaf Disrod?”

Beside him, a voice dripping with sheer hatred escaped Rosel’s lips.

Berge shifted his focus to where she was looking. When he saw the hero standing like a sentinel beside the prince, he felt a lump form in his throat.

The man’s aura was stifling. He possessed a commanding presence that dwarfed everyone else in the vicinity.

Balaf Disrod.

The top ten active heroes were referred to as stars.

And among those ten luminaries, Balaf Disrod was the one held in the highest esteem.

He was the undisputed pinnacle, the mightiest hero currently in service.

“I never imagined I’d have to look at that traitor’s face here.”

During the previous campaign against the Tower of Beasts, his abrupt desertion had guaranteed the failure of the heroes’ mission.

Given the losses Rosel Charnt had endured because of that betrayal, her fury was entirely warranted.

Yet, the current atmosphere did not permit her to act on her impulses.

“Stop right there.”

Hurt knights and infantrymen obstructed their path. The Second Prince’s personal guard drew their blades.

“The Black Lion Knights.”

The Second Prince noted the lion insignia, now tarnished by the grime of combat.

“Get out of our way.”

“We cannot comply.”

“Do you think I am making a request?”

“We are acting on the direct commands of His Highness the First Prince.”

“So my brother’s word is law, but mine is worthless? How am I expected to endure such an insult!”

Floyan let out a low growl.

“But what choice do I have? I possess loyal warriors just as you do.”

The knights of the White Rose Order, the elite guard of the Boldervo Marquisate and personal retainers to the Second Prince, unsheathed their weapons with murderous intent.

“Warriors who will cut through every one of you to clear my path.”

The opposing knights grew rigid under the weight of that malice.

In that tense silence, a voice rang out.

“Let them through. My younger brother wishes to see me—is it not right that I, as his senior, show myself?”

Reluctantly, the blockade broke. The Second and Third Princes moved forward.

“Only the princes may pass…”

“You are surrounded by heroes and a legion of knights—do you expect me to walk in alone? What is your logic, brother!”

The Second Prince shouted.

“Just open the way.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

The path was cleared. Dozens of individuals, comprising hero groups and knightly orders, descended into the basin of the crater.

Five people occupied the center.

The First Prince and First Princess—siblings who had allied solely for this endeavor—guarded by two heroes. And between them, the black mage, struggling as the First Prince maintained a chokehold.

“That one isn’t a star.”

Hillun murmured softly after inspecting the hero accompanying the First Princess.

“It has been some time, brother.”

“Brother.”

“Floyan, Martin. I see you’ve arrived as a pair.”

Rufus didn’t let go of the mage’s neck, turning only his head to acknowledge them.

“You are with Marlene, so why shouldn’t I be with my brother?”

“A chance meeting, then?”

“And what if it was?”

“It is only natural to feel relief when finding family in a strange land. Why not continue to enjoy each other’s company?”

“With the prize right in front of us?”

“But what does your arrival change?”

Rufus let out a smirk.

“The matter is already settled.”

“Because of that single black mage?”

“He was the only one.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Did you witness it?”

“What are you implying?”

“I saw it with my own eyes. I personally crushed the undead tide.”

“Is that the truth?”

Floyan shifted his gaze toward Martin. Martin, in turn, looked directly at Hillun.

“It can’t be.”

“Hillun Kagil.”

“The number of undead I observed exceeded a thousand. It is illogical for a single black mage to manifest such a force.”

“You should have taken my deal when I offered it. A regretful mistake. How does the reality taste now?”

“What?”

“Don’t you feel the sting of regret, seeing how things have unfolded?”

“……”

Hillun remained mute. Floyan cut in sharply.

“Stop this nonsense. If Lord Hillun is correct, how could a lone mage command a legion of over a thousand corpses?”

“I have no interest in convincing you.”

“Then let us interrogate him ourselves.”

“Do you really intend to snatch the prize I’ve already landed after the struggle is over?”

“It isn’t over yet.”

Floyan released a wave of killing intent. In response, Rufus’s knights reached for their hilts. Floyan’s men snarled back.

‘What is the best move here?’

Berge carefully avoided making eye contact with Byrif. Luckily, Byrif hadn’t connected the dots to realize he was the Demon King who had previously pinned him down.

‘I can’t rescue him.’

Trying to intervene in a place teeming with the empire’s finest and most powerful heroes would be a death sentence.

‘Especially because of him.’

Balaf Disrod. The stories of his legendary prowess were clearly not exaggerated. Between his current life and his previous one, he was the second most formidable hero Berge had ever encountered.

The only one superior was the hero with the crimson blade who had once ended his life. This meant he was even more dangerous than Hillun Kagil, who had grown stronger by consuming two Demon Kings.

‘Nothing is going according to plan.’

The First Prince’s achievements were far more significant than expected, leaving the Third Prince with no opportunity to make his mark.

Furthermore, Byrif had been neutralized with pathetic ease.

‘Don’t hold this against me. This is the result of your own incompetence.’

Ultimately, Berge resolved to discard him. The mage was a tool, but not one worth dying for.

Just then, it happened.

Byrif’s eyes widened. His vision locked onto a specific point in the crowd.

‘…This is bad.’

Seeing that Hillun Kagil was the object of that stare, Berge suppressed a groan.

Thinking back, he wasn’t the only one Byrif had met.

‘Did Hillun Kagil have his face covered back then…?’

At that very moment.

“Demon King!”

With his throat still constricted, Byrif let out a desperate, frantic cry.

—

Byrif was trapped in a nightmare he couldn’t wake from.

He had thrown everything away, triggering the detonation of his entire undead army.

He had been certain it would be their end. Even if some survived, he believed they would be too broken to even crawl.

He had been catastrophically wrong.

Was it the drain on his energy from maintaining the lesser dragon undead? Or had he simply underestimated the sheer power of the empire?

Too many had survived, and one hero in particular—the one who had butchered his finest creations—hadn’t stopped there.

The man had literally torn through the earth to wreck Byrif’s hidden sanctum.

He had been grabbed by the neck, hauled to the surface, and tossed like trash before the imperial prince.

Now, he was facing hundreds of vengeful imperial troops.

The air was thick with the scent of burning rage and a bloodlust so potent it felt physical.

“So it’s you. You’re the one.”

The prince’s hand tightened like a vice around his windpipe. He tried to fight back, but his reservoir of strength was dry. He could only wheeze as he struggled.

“Where are your accomplices?”

Did they assume he had help?

It made sense. No one would believe a single man could orchestrate a decade’s worth of undead labor alone. No one but him.

It was a catastrophic failure, yet there was a twisted sense of pride in it.

He had lost, but his life’s work was being treated with the respect of a grand threat.

So, he spat.

Ptoo—

It wasn’t a tactical move.

He simply despised the prince’s arrogant, polished features.

“How dare this piece of filth!”

“Your Highness!”

The knights shouted in outrage. The prince signaled for them to stay back. He wiped the phlegm from his face.

“How interesting.”

He let out a laugh, but it was devoid of humor.

A chill ran down Byrif’s spine. Even so, he kept his mask of defiance. In truth, he felt he had no reason to panic. No matter the odds, the Demon King would come for him.

“You don’t seem frightened, do you?”

The prince seemed to be looking for a reaction. The grip on Byrif’s throat loosened just a fraction.

“I am a practitioner of the black arts. Death has been my constant companion.”

“You are making a grave mistake.”

*Crunch—*

“Why would I…”

The pressure returned, even harder. Byrif’s skin turned a deep shade of crimson. He fought for every scrap of oxygen.

“You slaughtered my men.”

“You broke my knights.”

“You brought shame to my mages and to me personally.”

“…What makes you think I’ll grant you a swift end?”

“…It makes no difference. You arrogant imperial brat.”

He truly believed that. It didn’t matter how much the prince fumed or what tortures he devised.

“The great…”

The Demon King would pull him out of this.

An oath had been sworn upon the Founding Demon Emperor and the Standard of the Demon King. The promise would be kept.

At that moment, a knight scrambled down into the pit.

“Your Highness.”

“Report.”

“The Second and Third Princes have arrived and are within sight.”

“Those vultures?”

The moment those words were spoken, a commotion broke out at the top of the crater.

“Make a path!”

‘This is getting complicated…’

His confidence in the Demon King remained, but with more imperial reinforcements and tighter security, would the Demon King be able to extract him without injury?

‘Demon King, the time is now!’

His silent plea went unanswered. Instead, more royalty descended. More knights and more mages surrounded them.

“A chance meeting, then?”

“And what if it was?”

The princes began to bicker.

‘…Wait.’

Byrif suddenly caught sight of the Demon King within the new arrivals. No, it wasn’t the Demon King’s true form.

The exterior was different, and he could feel no demonic aura—only a repulsive, pure mana that turned his stomach.

But his hope didn’t rest on the man who merely looked like the Demon King. It was on the hero standing beside him.

‘That is definitely the one.’

The hero who had accompanied the Demon King when they first sought him out.

If he was here, the Demon King had to be close.

‘Where is he? Is he waiting for the right moment?’

He scanned the shouting crowd, searching for a sign. But there was no trace of the Demon King’s specific energy.

‘Rescue me! Do it while they are distracted by each other!’

He prayed with everything he had. He hoped the bond between their souls would carry his voice.

But no matter how intense the royal argument became, or how much his life was threatened by the escalating tension, the Demon King remained hidden.

Finally, unable to contain his desperation, he screamed toward the canyon where he believed the Demon King was hiding.

“Demon King!”

He bellowed with the last of his strength.

“Your servant is here! I beg you, fulfill your vow!”

The cry resonated through the hollow.

“Demon King? So that’s it. That is the source of your confidence.”

Every person present froze and turned toward him.

“Go ahead, keep calling for him.”

The First Prince gave a mocking grin.

“I am dying to see what kind of pathetic demon trash is backing you—the one who thought they could challenge the empire.”

He looked down with icy disdain.

“Do it again.”

He struck Byrif across the face.

“I told you to call him.”

“Demon King!”

His throat felt like it was tearing open. Blood leaked from his lips. Still, there was no shadow, no portal, no rescue.

“N-No… this can’t be…”

“Has your master abandoned you?”

“N-No! That’s a lie!”

The oath had been sworn on the Founding Demon Emperor and the Standard. Such a vow was unbreakable.

“Save me! Do it now! You gave me your word!”

“Yes, come and save him. Your little pet is starting to look truly miserable!”

The prince continued to jeer, but the silence from the canyon remained absolute.

In that moment, a cold realization washed over Byrif.

The Demon King had never intended to save him. He was going to die in this hole.

“N-No…!”

I refuse to end like this.

“Help me! Please, save me!”

He shrieked.

“Flame Demon King, you traitorous bastard!”

You gave me your word! You swore on the Standard and the Founding Demon Emperor to protect my life!

His final plea was broken by a sob, but the name had already been shouted for everyone to hear.

“…Flame Demon King?”

The collective wrath of the imperial royals suddenly found a new, singular target.