Demon King’s Advent -1

Noah calmed her boiling insides.

She was angry. At the attitude of the one who treated her and the Demon King like dogs.

Perhaps because of that, his challenge was actually welcome.

[I’ll open the door tomorrow. You’d better hurry if you want to get the Destroyer back. The magic I cast gets stronger as time passes.]

“I got it, so prepare to die.”

[I’m looking forward to it, failure.]

“I understand, trash.”

[Well then.]

The conversation ended, and the doll turned itself to ash and disappeared.

“…”

It had been a little over a year.

Since she became a magical girl to support her fallen father, and eventually became one of the top heroes.

Well, in the end, it turned into the bizarre situation where she had to defeat her father with that power, but there was no reason to hesitate now.

Not anymore.

Noah steeled her resolve and gently stroked Yul’s head.

She said.

“Don’t worry. We’ll go.”

Yul was looking at Noah in front of her, feeling the hand stroking her.

Noah also met Yul’s gaze and added in a gentle voice.

“You’re badly injured. Me, ahjussi, and Taehwa are fine. Leave this matter to the three of us.”

“…”

“Don’t push yourself unnecessarily—”

“No.”

Yul said, lightly brushing away Noah’s hand.

“I’ll handle that grandfather.”

“That’s too much for you in your condition.”

“…I know. But…”

“But?”

“If I run away here, I feel like I’ll never be able to fight again.”

Somehow, Noah felt like she understood.

It was a kind of inertia. Until now, there hadn’t been any major defeats, or even if there were defeats, they would rise again, and there was never a threat to their lives.

Even Kraken never showed signs of trying to kill them.

But this time is different.

Getting injured is common, and they might even die in what they’re about to do.

If they run away and turn their backs on such a battle once, they can never return to that place again.

Because they would have known fear.

So Yul seemed to have made her decision.

“I don’t want to run away! If I run away… and hear news that unnie or ahjussi got hurt…”

“Yul…”

“Rather than regretting it for life and watching the end, I’d rather do my best.”

So she wouldn’t turn her back.

“…Alright.”

“Ahjussi.”

“If that’s what Yul thinks, I can only support you.”

Shin Hyun acknowledged Yul’s thoughts but gave a clear warning.

“But this is no joke. You could really die.”

“…I’m prepared.”

Yul’s unwavering gaze.

Shin Hyun and Noah surrendered to it.

“…Don’t die.”

“You and unnie too.”

“…Haah…”

The atmosphere became heavy with Noah’s sigh.

“Then, we should go prepare now.”

“Yes. Yul, take good care of Jin-ah. We’ll prepare in our own way. We’ll come pick you up at dawn tomorrow, so be ready.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow at dawn.”

With that conversation, Shin Hyun and Noah left the hospital room.

With a deep-seated determination to succeed no matter what.

+++++

Left alone, Yul quietly closed her eyes.

The voice in her head had been difficult to bear for a while now.

She let out a deep sigh.

‘What do you want?’

The voice answered the question she had asked to solve her confusion.

‘Your power and body.’

‘Then what’s in it for me?’

‘I’ll give you the experience to defeat that old man. Isn’t that what you wanted?’

In other words.

‘So it’s like a monkey’s paw.’

‘I don’t understand your metaphor.’

The sound of clicking a tongue echoed in her head.

Thinking there might be room for dialogue, Yul quietly lay down on the bed.

The conversation wasn’t long.

Just about 10 minutes.

‘…I’ll think about it.’

‘Think? Do you think you can win?’

‘…I’ll try first.’

And if that doesn’t work…

‘How carefree you are.’

‘Then I’ll agree to your contract.’

‘I look forward to a positive response.’

After that, there was no more voice.

It was a relief.

“…Now I can focus a bit.”

She got up from the bed and closed her eyes.

Starlight faintly sparkled, and she transformed into a magical girl.

She still had bandages, but nothing was broken. It’s a shame that her right eye wasn’t normal yet, but she was less injured than others.

“…This time I won’t lose.”

Looking at the unnie who had been injured in her place, Black Heart made a deep resolution.

Even if it meant making some sacrifice, she would definitely get revenge.

+++++

“Here we are again.”

Iris agreed with my candid comment.

“I know… but this should be the last time.”

“I suppose so.”

Win or lose, this will be the final battle.

It will be decided today.

“…Is everyone ready?”

The magical girls nodded at those words.

Iris.

Stella.

Black Heart.

It was unfortunate that Natalia couldn’t participate, but we couldn’t bring her in her comatose state.

When we arrived at the location written in the letter, there was a portal, and we stepped inside.

Thus, we arrived at a place that resembled a deep cave.

There was a small rabbit doll there.

It was small enough to fit in one hand.

The doll bowed politely like a gentleman and pointed to several doors.

“The first door. Those who wish to fight a mass of monsters, please go this way.”

“The second door. Those who wish to fight a sword genius, please go this way.”

“The third door. Those who wish to fight the incarnation of destruction, please go this way.”

In other words, choose your opponent.

I looked at the magical girls.

The first to choose a door was, of course, Black Heart.

She chose without any hesitation.

“I’ll go here.”

The rightmost door.

Black Heart chose the path to fight the Sword Saint.

“I thought you’d choose that one.”

“I’ve made my resolve in my own way.”

Was her calm appearance concerning?

Stella approached and placed a hand on Black Heart’s shoulder.

“Let’s go together.”

“No. Unnie, please go somewhere else.”

“You’re thinking of doing it alone?”

“Yes, ahjussi.”

“…Will you be okay?”

Yul nodded.

Normally, I should stop her here, but…

“You must have your own thoughts.”

I decided to trust Yul.

After all, someone has to fight alone.

Then the remaining ones are the Demon King and the monster.

The Demon King’s door will probably be the hardest path…

“I’ll go face the Demon King.”

“Then I should—”

“Taehwa, go with Noah and face the other one.”

Noah raised a question mark at my words.

“Wouldn’t it be better if Taehwa went to face the Demon King?”

I shook my head.

“No, you’re the protagonist in the end. As long as that guy is the final boss, you have to defeat him. Try to conserve your strength.”

“Then…”

“We’ll handle the Demon King.”

Wriggle.

Kkomul-i crawled onto my shoulder.

“Leave it to us. You should finish off that unpleasant guy yourself.”

“Kkomul-i…”

“Kkomul-i is right. You go with Stella and get rid of that monster. I’ll handle the Demon King somehow.”

“How will you handle it?”

After thinking about Noah’s question for a moment, I answered clearly.

“I’ll aim to subdue her as much as possible.”

I didn’t continue the rest of the sentence.

These children are old enough to understand.

Everyone’s expression darkened.

I spoke in the brightest voice I could manage.

“Don’t worry. I got something from the Witch.”

“Something?”

“Yes.”

I showed the children a potion they seemed interested in. A peculiar potion that was black on the top layer but white on the bottom layer.

An extreme medicine created by combining the Witch’s and Magical Girl Natalia’s purification magic.

“I’ll make her drink this somehow. If her body can handle it, she should be able to live.”

“…Ahjussi, I’m counting on you with the Demon King.”

“Hmm.”

With my nod as the signal, everyone stood in front of their respective doors.

Iris and Stella going to face the monster.

Black Heart going to face the Sword Saint.

Me and Kkomul-i going to face the Demon King.

“All of you!”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

“…Yes.”

“Don’t die. Let’s meet again alive.”

Everyone nodded.

Some looked anxious, some looked confident. I couldn’t tell what they were thinking.

They opened the doors with their own thoughts.

Creeaak-

An eerie door sound.

“…A corridor?”

“This feels awful.”

A long corridor stretched out before our eyes.

I had memories of seeing this place.

The laboratory. This was the corridor of the laboratory I visited before.

The laboratory where Noah and the Demon King were born.

What a twisted taste.

At a moment that could be the end of a child’s life. Making the place where a cursed life began the stage.

‘…No, pull yourself together, Shin Hyun.’

The Demon King’s life will not end here.

That child should live a life not in this damp, moldy place, but receiving everyone’s love, and then quietly closing her eyes on a comfortable bed.

“…Let’s go.”

Thud, thud.

The sound of footsteps echoed.

Passing through the long, unpleasant corridor, a plaza with broken test tubes came into view.

In the center, I saw a familiar white hair. Similar to Noah’s, but somehow dirty.

The eyes too.

Also purple, but transformed into a more murky color.

A child who resembled Noah but was much smaller.

“…Demon King.”

It was the Demon King.

“…What on earth.”

One day.

Just one day had passed.

What on earth happened during that one day?

How could a child who was fine end up in such a state?

“Demon King… I’m sorry.”

“…”

“I… should have protected you.”

There was no response even when I spoke.

Like someone whose soul had been sucked out.

The Demon King, who had been swinging her feet on a white table for a while, suddenly turned her gaze towards me.

“Ah! It’s brother! Hello?”

“…”

“Daddy said to eliminate anyone who comes here! I’m sorry! Even though you’re a brother I really like… I can’t help it!”

“…”

She began to smile a broken smile.

“So, would you die for me?”

“…Demon King.”

“Yes? Brother?”

“It’s time to take your medicine.”

“Eck!! I hate medicine!”

“Don’t worry.”

Of course, I have no intention of dying easily.

“I prepared it with strawberry flavor!”