Published: March 21, 2026
"Welcome to the deepest core of the Volcano Continent, the Demon King's Castle. Oda Akira, Kyosuke Asahina, and Tsukasa Satou. It's probably too far to talk over there. Come this way."
When we stood before the doors to the audience chamber escorted by Lord Lattice Nail, the heavy doors that reached up to the high ceiling opened on their own, and after we stepped in they closed by themselves. A magic circle had appeared on the door before it opened, so it was probably Mahiro's doing. It reminded me a little of an automatic door and felt oddly nostalgic.
There is also an audience chamber in Reytis Castle—the place where I first met King Reytis—but the Demon King's audience chamber was at least two sizes smaller than Reytis Castle's. Still, it felt sufficiently spacious, so maybe Reytis Castle's hall had just been excessively large.
Two people awaited us inside. Standing to the right was Abe Mahiro—Mahiro Uno—and the man seated on the throne was likely Lattice Nail's father, and the Demon King, who was Commander Saran's younger brother.
I stepped forward as prompted and observed the Demon King closely. His features resembled neither Commander Saran nor Lattice Nail; he looked like a tired middle-aged salaryman. His body was thin and, compared to Mahiro, didn't look like it could move well in combat. Yet his voice was very similar to Commander Saran's—if his pronunciation had been a bit clearer and brighter, I doubt I, with only a short acquaintance, could have told them apart. The most striking thing was his eyes set deep in their sockets. They were an unearthly, beautiful color that I couldn't look away from. It felt as if some charm-type effect compelled my gaze—like my eyes were being forced to meet his.
I wanted to check the Demon King's stats with the World Eye, but concentrating magical power into my eyes would be easily detected by Mahiro. At worst, it would be seen as a hostile act and trigger a fight. I should hold off at least until Lattice Nail's nighttime business was finished.
After a few more steps, the throne finally came within the range of my shadow magic. It was probably within Mahiro's magic circle too, but at least I could be sure I wouldn't be simply pummeled without recourse, and I exhaled quietly.
When I stopped, the heroes beside me stopped as well. From left to right we stood Lattice Nail, me, the hero, and Kyosuke. The Demon King on his slightly raised throne was exactly at our eye level. I don't know the proper etiquette for an audience, so maybe this was rude, but neither Lattice Nail nor Mahiro said anything, so it must be fine. Besides, with only two Demon Clan people present in the audience chamber, this gathering probably wasn't meant to be formal anyway.
"Also, welcome back. Lattice Nail, Black Cat."
"Yes, yes, I'm back~. At least Night secretly wished you were dead, didn't he? Pot, meet kettle."
Night, perched on Lattice Nail's shoulder, flinched at the hostility in Lattice Nail's words. The remark was more direct than I'd expected, and I blinked. The Demon King's gaze turned to Lattice Nail, allowing mine to look away. So he really was using some kind of skill—perhaps a Demon Eye? It didn't feel like it was taking over bodies, but it was best to stay wary.
Like when I first met Mahiro in the Brute Labyrinth, the Demon King pronounced our names—us who had come from another world—correctly, but he did not use the new name I had given Night. He couldn't not know it, so it was deliberate. At least it was clear that not everyone here welcomed us. It would have hurt to return hostility for kindness.
"That may be true. Or it may not be."
The Demon King replied evasively to Lattice Nail's barbed words.
Perhaps that sort of conversation was ordinary between parent and child, but for Lattice Nail in her current state it was like pouring oil on the fire.
"Enough with treating me like a child. I'm here to fight you today."
"Oh? A first parent-child quarrel, is it?"
"I came to stop your scheme. I won't be taken seriously if I tackle this alone, so I brought an assassin raised by the uncle you despise and the hero you hate to finally request an audience and talk."