Originally, he had indeed just come to ask for directions, with the intention of having a heart-to-heart talk with the local Demon King and perhaps touring his Treasure Vault. He believed even a Demon King wouldn't refuse such a friendly traveler.
But after seeing how weak this Demon King was, Eiji changed his mind.
What heart-to-heart talk?!
Might as well just take the throne directly!
Once he became the Demon King, wouldn't he be able to do whatever he wanted?
Visit any Treasure Vault he fancied, stay wherever he pleased, forcibly abduct princesses... cough scratch that last one—he wasn't that kind of unruly person.
In the Demon King's Hall.
The moment Eiji spoke these words, the entire room fell into dead silence.
Everyone stared dumbfounded, their faces clearly expressing "What is this guy saying?!"
Where's the reaction?
Give me some reaction here!
Without any reaction, how am I supposed to keep this act going?!
This was Eiji's first time doing something like this, and he felt a bit nervous, hoping someone below would pick up the conversation.
"...Aren't you human?"
Finally, the only practical one, the Headless Knight, spoke up.
He tilted his head in his hands to show confusion.
"Is there a rule saying humans can't be the Demon King?"
Eiji countered.
"Well, no, there isn't, but..."
The Headless Knight rotated the head in his hands and exchanged a glance with the woman in Priestess Garb beside him.
"While we are grateful you spared His Majesty despite having the power to kill him, the Demon King's throne isn't something just anyone can occupy. Especially since you're a human wanting to become the Demon King—the resistance you'll face will be unusually fierce!"
The woman in Priest Garb stepped forward on behalf of the other officers to begin negotiations.
The corpses of the Dark Knights on the ground were still warm.
Under the Demon King's blessing, their strength had rivaled that of the officers, yet they had been wiped out in mere minutes. This human was clearly no pushover.
"And you are...?"
"Serena, serving as the Strategist of the Demon King Army."
The woman in Priestess Garb gave Eiji a slight bow and introduced herself briefly.
She was quite a beautiful woman, with shoulder-length hair that gave off a crisp and efficient vibe. Her predominantly black Priestess Garb carried a tainted holiness reminiscent of a Fallen Angel, while the beauty mark beneath her left eye added a touch of allure.
Most importantly, her figure was excellent—not overly exaggerated, but perfectly proportioned.
"What are the requirements to become the Demon King?"
Eiji adjusted his posture, adopting a more serious listening demeanor.
"This human... is actually asking about this stuff?"
"He can't seriously be considering becoming the Demon King, can he?"
Whispers rose from the demons behind the officers.
The masked man rubbed his chin, his gaze toward Eiji now tinged with interest.
"Decent combat ability and a certain degree of strategic thinking."
Serena gave him a strange look.
As a fellow human, she truly hadn't expected someone to actually consider becoming the Demon King.
"Most importantly, the strong leadership needed to command the highly individualistic officers of the Demon King Army!"
Wait a minute.
A certain degree of strategic thinking made sense—after all, a Demon King just needed to know how to delegate.
"What kind of requirement is 'combat ability just needs to be passable'? How can that possibly command respect? What if the subordinates rebel?"
"Leadership being the most important trait? Just how difficult are you Demon King Army executives to reconcile?"
"I'm strong. Isn't that enough?"
"That notion that demons must absolutely adhere to a might-makes-right philosophy, that the Demon King must be the strongest among demons—that's just a stereotype about our kind. In reality, that selection method is already outdated."
Celestina casually dropped this bombshell that left Eiji utterly speechless.
Wait.
Your demon race doesn't follow might-makes-right?
Without strength determining supremacy, without the strong doing as they please—how can you even call yourselves demons!
"It seems I've made the mistake of empiricism."
Eiji let out a long sigh.
Novels and anime always portrayed demons, devils, and other villains as absolute believers in strength supremacy, where the powerful in their ranks could do whatever they wanted. That was why he had planned to become the Demon King... no, that was why he thought he could be the Demon King.
He rose from the throne and descended the steps.
"What if I say I absolutely must become this Demon King?"
The moment these words left his mouth.
The atmosphere in the hall instantly froze over.
The expressions of the demons all tensed up.
"Hmm~"
The masked Vanir hummed noncommittally.
"...Sir."
"My name is Ikki Kurogane."
"Sir Kurogane!"
The Headless Knight's voice carried a hint of anger.
"Are you attempting to seize the Demon King's throne through sheer force?"
Huh?
Why does that make me sound like the villain here?
Get your positions straight, demons!
"If you disagree, let your sword do the talking."
Eiji raised his blade, his expression cold and stern.
"You look like a knight to me. Surely you know the rules of a duel?"
Leadership or strategy aside for now.
Eiji planned to first subdue these people with sheer strength!
"I thank you for showing mercy to His Majesty the Demon King, but that's a separate matter. I accept this duel!"
The Headless Knight's declaration rang out firm and resolute.
Gripping his massive black sword, his head tucked under his arm, he stepped forward from the crowd.
"If I win, you must retract your intention to become the Demon King!"
"And if I win?"
"Then... I shall no longer interfere in this matter!"
The Headless Knight replied somewhat awkwardly.
"For a knight, switching allegiance on the spot is indeed asking too much."
Eiji nodded understandingly.
"In that case, this is sufficient."
"Thank you for your understanding!"
The Headless Knight visibly relaxed.
He couldn't betray the Demon King, so this was the bare minimum concession he could make.
To immediately turn around and support Eiji was absolutely out of the question.
"Come."
Eiji beckoned to him with a hand.
His attitude clearly showed he had plenty to spare—one might even say he didn't consider his opponent a threat.
But the Headless Knight felt no resentment. If anything, he was grateful.
Because he knew Eiji was extraordinarily powerful. When the gap in strength was this vast, merely being granted a chance to cross blades was already an act of mercy from the stronger party.
"I am Beldia, one of the eight executives of the Demon King Army! A high-ranking member of the Undead, sworn servant of the Demon King! Sir Kurogane, I ask for your guidance!"
Beldia raised his greatsword and charged forward without hesitation.
"Oh dear, has it come down to a fight after all?"
Vanir scratched the black and white mask on his face and retreated to stand beside Sylvia, the beauty in Western dress, and Serena, the beautiful priestess.
"Can your Clairvoyance foresee how this battle will unfold, Lord Vanir?"
Sylvia was currently gazing at Eiji with starry-eyed admiration, her delighted expression clearly showing she'd become a fan of his looks—she might as well have been holding glow sticks already.
Meanwhile, Serena leaned in closer and quietly inquired of Barnier.