The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 74

Chapter 74
Chapter 74: Friend

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A heavy axe crashed into the stone.

Fragments of the floor sprayed outward like shrapnel. The massive weapon didn’t pause; it pivoted mid-air with lethal fluidity.

Vivian clenched her teeth. The proximity left no room for a dodge. Enveloping her palm in thick demonic power, she caught the edge of the axe barehanded.

The freezing steel sliced into her palm, but she ignored the sensation and shoved back with everything she had.

Zzzzt—

The impact sent Louise skidding backward across the room.

‘Is this really a princess…?’

Vivian stood frozen, stunned by the raw power and the defined, rippling musculature visible beneath the girl’s skin.

‘This makes no sense.’

In her experience, princesses were fragile things. Some were elegant, others were bratty. Some dabbled in the arcane or swung decorative rapiers while playing at being knights.

Regardless of their hobbies, they stayed within the expected boundaries of nobility.

It was a matter of royal decorum.

Being a princess was their primary identity; being a mage or a warrior was always secondary.

But Louise Beruft shattered that mold. Despite her lovely features, she possessed a physique that rivaled an ogre’s strength. A primal predator lived inside that girl.

Vivian couldn’t help but voice her disbelief.

“You’re honestly claiming to be a princess?”

“Do I look like a prince to you?”

Vivian dropped her stance, tightening her grip on the weapon’s blade.

Suddenly, a violent shiver raced down her spine.

‘Crap.’

She had been so distracted by this dwarven powerhouse, Louise Beruft, that she had lost track of the genuine disaster in the room.

The legendary guardian she was currently ill-equipped to face.

Bzzt-crackle—

A bolt of lightning slammed into her spine. She was hurled forward, dragging Louise down with her as they tumbled across the floor.

They rolled together in a tangle of limbs until the deafening roar of palace alarms filled the air.

‘I need to get out of here.’

The princess was no longer the priority.

Vivian made a split-second decision to retreat.

As the hero lunged toward her, she sprang toward the exit. It was a desperate, ungraceful move, but a demon king’s ego was a small price to pay for survival.

She bolted for the window, but an invisible weight suddenly jerked her back. A sharp, agonizing pain forced a scream from her lungs.

“Running away so soon?”

Louise Beruft had abandoned her axe and was now clutching something else.

A slender, black appendage. The tail of the succubus Vivian Blunt.

“…You miserable brat.”

“Entering is your choice, but leaving is mine. If you want to go, you can leave your head behind as a parting gift. Show some respect, you tramp.”

Thwack—

Vivian delivered a kick fueled by demonic essence, rattling the princess’s frame. Yet, the girl refused to let go of the tail.

“Release me.”

“Give me one good reason.”

“I said, let go!”

The struggle lasted only seconds, but it was enough for the hero to close the gap. Lightning illuminated the room. Vivian’s heart hammered against her ribs.

Shwick—

A cold draft whistled past her face.

Something gave way.

Thud. A dark, twitching object hit the floor.

Her tail.

She had been maimed.

“Ah.”

A wave of sickening pain and shock washed over her.

Tears blurred her vision.

She had spent years meticulously grooming that tail—it was the ultimate symbol of her vanity and power.

The princess and the hero didn’t give her a moment to mourn.

The loss of her tail was just the opening act. A specialized, angled blade whistled toward her throat.

‘I’ll kill you both for this. I’ll never forget your faces!’

Ignited by desperation and the lingering interference, she detonated her demonic energy in a single, massive shockwave.

The resulting blast repelled everything in the vicinity. The princess was sent flying with a cry, and even the hero was forced to halt his advance.

A golden aura sliced through the dark mist as he pushed forward, but the room was already empty.

The only things left were shattered glass and the cold night air.

“Was that… a tear?”

A solitary droplet landed on the hero’s cheek. Hillun Kagil looked up, his expression unreadable.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A demonic infiltration had occurred.

The moment the King received the news, he sprinted from his chambers, still clad in his robes.

“Louise!”

The distance between the main palace and Louise’s private annex was significant, and more details reached him as he ran.

The King paused, confused.

“So, a demon attempted to seize Louise, but Hillun Kagil intervened?”

“It wasn’t a mere demon, your Majesty. It was a demon king.”

“You managed to repel a demon king?”

“We did, Sire.”

“How is that possible?”

The question was instinctual.

Demon kings had plagued the world for a millennium. Life in Aren was defined by the presence of these entities and their monstrous subordinates.

They were woven into the fabric of politics, trade, and daily life. While the various races—humans, elves, and dwarves—had evolved over the centuries, one grim reality remained constant.

You could not stop a demon king from taking a royal if they chose to.

Defenses were irrelevant; the abduction was considered an inevitability.

The logic was simple: the predator always chose the time and place.

Constant, high-level security for every royal family member was an impossible feat.

Furthermore, the stealth and escape capabilities of a demon king surpassed almost every hero in existence, with perhaps only Daphne Philia being an exception.

And even she couldn’t be everywhere at once.

Consequently, humanity had stopped trying to prevent the kidnappings and focused instead on the retaliation and recovery phases.

This had led to an informal treaty of sorts over the centuries.

Demon kings treated their royal captives with relative care, returned them after a period, and avoided heirs to the throne.

In exchange, nations avoided total war, preventing a cycle of endless slaughter that neither side could truly win.

And now, an abduction had been stopped at the source?

The King was skeptical, but his paternal instincts took over.

“Is Louise safe? Is she injured?”

Upon his arrival, the guards moved aside to let him through.

He stepped into the princess’s chambers and surveyed the wreckage.

The demolished walls and ceiling, combined with the acrid scent of demonic energy, proved the reports were true.

A demon king had indeed been there.

His eyes found his daughter.

“Louise! Are you hurt?”

“I’m alright, Father.”

She wasn’t entirely unscathed; her skin was marked by various abrasions.

“Get the royal healers here immediately. That filth… to think they dared touch my daughter…”

“Hero Hillun made our defense possible.”

“Hillun Kagil?”

The King finally noticed the hero standing in the shadows of the room.

“The hero detected the intruder early. We had the chance to organize a defense and push her back. We failed to execute her, however…”

Louise presented the severed succubus tail, which was still pulsing with residual life.

“A succubus tail?”

“Yes.”

“The Lust Demon King?”

It was common for demon kings to lead those of their own species. It was the most logical deduction.

“That lunatic from the Lust faction. First they destabilize Dormunt, and now they target Beruft.”

The King’s eyes burned with cold fury.

The idea of them targeting Louise specifically was an unforgivable insult.

He pushed down his anger and turned to Hillun Kagil. Despite his personal distaste for the man, the hero had saved his daughter. He owed him a debt.

“Beruft thanks you for your service.”

“I simply performed my duty.”

“No one has ever successfully intercepted a royal kidnapping before. You have achieved the impossible. However…”

One detail didn’t sit right.

“How were you aware of the attack before it happened?”

“It was luck.”

“Luck?”

“Yes. I was restless and decided to train in the annex courtyard. I picked up the scent of demonic power.”

It was a plausible explanation. While demon kings were masters of stealth, Hillun Kagil was a veteran who had already taken the lives of two such beings. His senses were sharper than most.

It felt incredibly convenient, but the idea of a hero working with a demon king was unthinkable.

‘Perhaps he was just hanging around Louise’s quarters with his own intentions and happened upon the demon.’

The King dismissed the thought. He couldn’t interrogate the man who had just saved his child based on a hunch.

“You are a savior to this kingdom and to my family. I will ensure your reward exceeds your expectations.”

“I appreciate it.”

“Aren’t you supposed to decline once for the sake of humility?”

“I was told it’s polite to accept a gift when offered.”

“Ha! Fair enough.”

The King let out a booming laugh.

The news that the Lust Demon King had been defeated in an attempted kidnapping of Beruft’s second princess spread across the lands like a wildfire.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
『It worked.』

That single confirmation brought a look of satisfaction to Berge’s face.

Not only had Vivian’s plan been thwarted, but she had been physically marked in the process.

The image of Vivian retreating in disgrace, missing her tail, made him smirk.

“Secure the tail.”

For a succubus, a tail was more than just an aesthetic feature; it was a secondary reservoir for their power.

It wasn’t as vital as the heart, but the loss of the energy stored within it was a significant blow.

『Understood.』

“Excellent work.”

『I only did what was required.』

“Indeed, and this victory will only increase your standing.”

『I owe my success to you, my Demon King.』

“What was your impression of Vivian?”

『She was unimpressive. To be honest, I believe I could have ended her there.』

Vivian was currently weakened by the summoning process, but she wasn’t actually a weakling.

She was a Demon King, after all.

It was simply that Hillun had surpassed the standard limits. He had grown exponentially since his time in the Erjest Mountains and his battle with Drakson.

The essences of those fallen demon kings were still refining his power.

“It serves our purpose better if Vivian remains alive to cause chaos.”

She had already created a mess in Dormunt and now Beruft.

She was the perfect distraction.

As long as she was the center of attention, Berge could operate in the shadows.

He intended to keep it that way for as long as possible.

There was another factor, too.

‘Even in Aren’s history, demon kings are rarely killed so shortly after their arrival.’

Furthermore, Vivian was the agent sent by Archduke Alcaine to investigate Drakson’s demise.

If she vanished, Alcaine would simply send someone more competent. It was better to deal with the predictable Vivian.

『I will check in again later.』

“When you return to the guild, dispatch Granada to the Golden Moon Merchant Guild on a separate mission.”

『Regarding the elves?』

“Exactly.”

『Granada is known as my right hand. His sudden departure might draw eyes.』

“I trust you to find a convincing excuse.”

『As you wish, my Demon King. I’ll handle it.』

The line went dead. Berge set the crystal aside and leaned back.

[1,412,492pt]

He stared at his accumulated points, imagining the day he could fill his second floor with Balrogs. Suddenly, another orb began to glow.

『Demon King.』

It was Krutu.

『Those strange creatures you warned us about have surfaced.』

『We attempted to bypass them, but three of our warriors were killed.』

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Krutu.

Once the leader of only the Red Frost, he now commanded a coalition of seven tribes.

He had hundreds of elite fighters and over a thousand followers in total.

This unprecedented rise in power was entirely due to the Great Demon King.

Such a thing was a dream in the old days. Because of this, his devotion was absolute.

“If you encounter anything out of the ordinary, do not engage. Retain your position and contact me.”

“Understood.”

“Follow the Chieftain’s lead.”

Krutu took the Demon King’s instructions to heart.

Orcs were impulsive by nature, so he had spent a great deal of time drilling these orders into their heads.

“Ogre. Stay back.”

“Something is wrong.”

“Chieftain, look at that beast.”

Because of his leadership, the orcs remained hidden even when they spotted an ogre with a grotesquely mutated arm.

‘What is that monstrosity?’

It had obsidian skin and massive talons. The arm looked like it belonged to a high-ranking devil. A sense of impending doom settled over Krutu.

“Back away slowly. Do not make a sound.”

“Moving.”

The creature hadn’t noticed them yet. Once they were at a safe distance, Krutu reached for his communication device.

Suddenly, his blood ran cold.

He turned around slowly. Dogs. No—beasts that resembled hounds, but twisted.

They were catching a scent, their eyes locking onto Krutu.

How had they flanked them?

‘These aren’t natural mountain predators.’

They were clearly linked to the mutated ogre.

Acting on reflex, he drew his weapon. The hounds were fast, but the orc warriors were faster.

Yelp—

The hounds were silenced quickly, but the skirmish had taken too long. A heavy, predatory gaze landed on them.

‘We’ve been found.’

The moment the thought crossed his mind, the monster launched itself into the air.

The sheer pressure of its killing intent caused the orcs to snarl in defiance.

“Attack!”

“Kill it!”

“Wait, no!”

Krutu’s warning was drowned out. An orc’s head was torn clean off, spinning into the snow.

Seeing their comrade fall, the other orcs lost their composure and charged.

Shwick—

They managed to sever the devilish arm, but the monster’s other fist shattered an orc’s skull instantly.

Two dead in heartbeats. Krutu joined the fray, his rage boiling over.

Using their demonic empowerment, they hacked at the beast’s torso. Another orc fell before the creature finally collapsed.

The report would have to wait until the area was secure.

“…Forgive me, Demon King. I failed to follow your orders to retreat.”

『It is fine. I told you to avoid combat if possible, not to let yourselves be slaughtered without a fight.』

『Retrieve your fallen. And bring the body of that chimera back with you.』

“Yes, Sire.”

Krutu exhaled in relief; the Demon King wasn’t displeased.

“…Demons?”

“…!”

A voice whispered directly into his ear, shattering his relief.

He spun around. A woman was standing there, watching them with a blank expression. He hadn’t sensed her arrival at all.

“…A human?”

“Are you the Demon King’s servant?”

Her eyes were bright and full of a strange, innocent curiosity that felt entirely wrong for the bloody scene.

A human girl, showing no fear in the face of an orc chieftain.

He should have killed her instantly for her arrogance. She looked like she would snap under the slightest pressure.

But Krutu found himself unable to strike. A lump of pure dread formed in his throat.

“Down there.”

She pointed.

“What are you keeping hidden?”

“…Orcs. You speak well?”

Her speech was fragmented, but lacked any aggression.

“This.”

“My friend.”

Rumble—

The mountain trembled. The snowy peak above them began to disintegrate.

A shadow of impossible proportions stretched over Krutu, blotting out the sun.

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End of Chapter 74: Friend