Failure, and—
I had been an exemplary student.
I entered the Demon King Officer Academy as valedictorian, and I graduated as valedictorian.
None among the demon race stood above me, and no one ever surpassed me.
"The Demon King's Canon."
It was the doctrine established ever since the Demon Realm began its expansion, and I dug even deeper into it.
And when I finally became a complete Demon King and was dispatched to a dimension, that doctrine shone brilliantly.
More faithfully than anyone, I followed the Canon.
Step by step, I advanced my grand plan.
I built a tower, and I kidnapped a princess.
I became the mastermind working in the shadows, stirring chaos, and helping the heroes grow in every possible way.
Once the tower had grown beyond twenty floors, I placed goblins on the first floor and a balrog on the nineteenth. Then I sat upon the throne at the summit and waited for the heroes.
Everything was perfect.
Everything was proceeding according to plan.
The Canon was flawless, and I had only one final step left.
Never did I imagine that I would be unable to take that final step.
Never did I imagine that I—the Demon King, the very Demon Realm that worshipped the Canon—would be utterly humiliated by mere humans.
Cough—
I spat blood. When faced with incomprehensible reality, denial often follows.
I couldn't face the truth.
Why were my proud black flames unable to harm the heroes?
Why could the hero's crimson blade pierce my scales—harder than any metal in existence—and dig into my heart?
I couldn't understand.
"How…?"
Questions came before the fear of death.
I had obeyed the Demon King's Canon down to the letter.
I kidnapped princesses so that kingdoms would direct their fury at me. I became the mastermind, earning the wrath and sorrow of countless more.
Those emotions made me stronger.
Most restrictions on dimensional interference had been lifted, vast portions of the land were becoming demonized, and full conquest was no longer just a dream.
The next step was aiding the growth of the heroes.
Their special emotions were invaluable. Thus, the Canon said: raise them, then devour them.
So I raised them accordingly. Now, having borne fruit, they were supposed to climb to the top where I would sit, savor them, and let myself become intoxicated with demonic energy.
So why was I the one lying on the floor?
"How? You Demon Kings are really all the same, aren't you?"
Thud—
The hero who had ruined my great plan sneered at me.
"You lot create these situations yourselves, and then act like you can't believe what's happening."
"What nonsense…!"
"You always kidnap a princess or prince to send a signal to humanity: 'The Demon King has begun to act—come stop him.' How kind of you. If you killed the king instead, the kingdom would fall into total chaos."
That's because kidnapping a king turns anger into greed, and they would start a war among themselves for the throne.
"And then you always send subordinates after the hero. And you pick them so carefully—just strong enough to fight, but not strong enough to kill."
Because if the hero dies early, the finest meal is ruined.
That is what the Canon teaches.
"And is that all? Whether we go to your tower or don't go, you send monsters anyway. Do you know what we do? We're grateful. Since they're all perfectly manageable, we say 'thank you very much' and take the free experience. Honestly, my parents aren't as considerate as you Demon Kings."
"And once we reach the tower? Even better. The first floor always has weak monsters. As we go up, the difficulty rises gradually, perfectly suited for training."
The hero bowed slightly. He whispered, "Thank you."The sight made my insides twist.
That was when I realized something was terribly wrong.
"Do you know what heroes call a Demon King's tower? A stable place to grow. A treasure trove overflowing with things to eat. A heavenly training ground."
He whispered.
He told me that the Demon Realm, the Demon King, and my guiding doctrine had been wrong from the very beginning.
That the Demon King wasn't raising heroes to devour them—heroes were exploiting the Demon King.
"There are heroes who enter the Demon King's tower, clear everything except the top floor, and then leave. Why? Because it's comfortable. Even if they kill everything inside, after a few months it resets. It's the best hunting ground. Ah, but since Demon Kings hardly interact with each other, I guess you wouldn't know."
A hunting ground.
My tower.
"But sometimes, that gets old. It stops being exciting. Then we just kill the Demon King. If he dies with that same 'I don't understand' face you're making, a new Demon King and new tower appear soon enough."
An eternal hunting ground. What could be better?
"You were slightly harder, though. Compared to other Demon Kings, you were stronger. Because of that, a lot of heroes died. Still, you acted the same, so this was always how it was going to end."
My mind spun.
To a Demon King, a hero is merely a pig ready to slaughter—fatten them up for a tastier meal, but no matter what, a pig doesn't become a dragon.
That was what every Demon King, every demon believed.
And that belief had just been uprooted.
Heroes weren't pigs. They were dragons—creatures capable of killing the Demon King.
And the Demon King was raising the very dragon that would slay him.
No—our positions were reversed from the start. The hero had been exploiting the Demon King all along.
How. How could this be?
"Well then, goodbye, Demon King. Thanks for everything. Thanks to you, I made a name for myself as a hero. I wonder who'll show up after you to entertain us next."
The hero—no, the heroes—laughed. Their ridicule seared itself into my pupils.
"I…! I am the Demon King! You dare mock me!?"
"King? I don't see any king."
"But we do have a very generous caretaker. Who else pampers us with such devotion, more than any Demon King's brat?"
"That's right. Exactly."
They snickered.
Rage surged. Heat swelled inside me, impossible to contain.So I didn't.
"If I must go, I will not go alone."
My pierced heart was losing strength.
That I would die here would not change.
Then I would punish them and depart. I would make them pay for daring to mock the Demon King.
Even if I must spend the last of my life.
I squeezed my heart. I rallied all my demonic energy.
Flames rose, heat churned.
"He's doing something crazy!"
"Cut off his head immediately!"
The heroes, only now realizing what was happening, shouted. They moved frantically. A cold blade aimed for my neck.
Slash—
A sting grazed the side of my throat. My vision flipped upside down.
But it was already too late.
Through my tumbling sight, I saw a headless body collapse. My body. My heart, pierced by the hero's sword, swelled with black heat.
The gathered demonic energy exploded with my heart as its catalyst.
I saw the heroes scrambling to escape.
Black heat swallowed everything in every direction.
Ah.
It's hot.
My flames… were this hot.
Memories flashed like a revolving lantern. Doubt and regret seeped in.
The Canon had been wrong.
Had I known the Canon made heroes look at Demon Kings like fools, I would never have followed it.
If I were given one more chance—
I would throw that Canon to the orcs.
But regret came too late.
My vision dimmed into black.
'…ge.'
My consciousness drifted in darkness.
So I died. Then is this the afterlife?
Where am I going?
'…rze De…'
A faint voice brushed against my ears. But my drowsy mind didn't bother to listen.
"Berze Deias! Are you not here!?"
At that moment—
My vision brightened. I shot up.
It was an auditorium. Hundreds of demons were looking straight at me.
What is… happening?
"Berze Deias! Quickly, to the front!"
My confusion lasted only a moment. I realized the host on the stage had been repeatedly calling my name.
I hurried up to the platform. An old vampire greeted me.
"Berze Deias. You aren't usually like this—why today, of all days, your graduation?"
A worried voice. From his words, I inferred the situation.
Graduation. And this venue.
The vampire—headmaster of the school—pinned a red badge on my chest. The symbol given to all graduates of the Demon King Officer Academy.
Only then did I fully grasp the situation.
This was fifteen years ago, at the graduation ceremony of the Academy.
I had graduated at the top of my class, drawing everyone's attention.
"It's nothing."
"Good. All of us—the school included—have high expectations for you."
He spoke the exact words he had spoken in the past, not a syllable off.
Why had I returned to the day of graduation? I couldn't understand.
But that this was an opportunity—that I could not deny.
"Thank you. I'll do my best."
"Good."
The headmaster patted my shoulder. Then the salutatorian and the other cadets stepped up one by one.
Each received their badge.
—Graduates, please turn around.
We turned. Hundreds of demons were celebrating our graduation.
—Now we will begin the oath of the new Demon Kings.
—The valedictorian, Berze Deias, will read on behalf of the class.
A hologram appeared before me.
[1. The Demon King must build a tower in the world they are assigned to.]
[2. The Demon King must kidnap a prince or princess.]
[3. The Demon King must become a mastermind in the shadows, create disorder, and leave traces proving they were the mastermind.]
[4. The Demon King must, in all ways possible, help the hero grow.]
[5. The tower's lower floors must contain low-level monsters; the higher the floor, the stronger the monsters. The Demon King must always wait for the hero at the summit.]
[6. The tower must…]
That was—
The Demon King's Canon.
The thing I had seen to the point of nausea, memorized until my head nearly burst, and practiced with utmost devotion.
The same doctrine that had driven me to death, that had turned me into a toy for heroes.
Now I was expected to read it aloud. I had to swear, in front of everyone, that I would abide by it.
Utter garbage.
—Berze Deias?
Nothing but a stupid shackle. A pile of trash built on a foundation so wrong it was laughable.
I did not want to read it. I had no intention of reading it.
—Please recite the noble Demon King's Canon.
The host urged me.
I knew very well how grave a sin it was to reject the Canon in such a public place.
I knew it could stain my brilliant future.
But—
Because of the Canon, I had died.Because of that doctrine, I had been toyed with.
"I refuse."
And because I had once loved and trusted it, my hatred for it was even greater.
The hall fell silent.
"I cannot recite that idiotic oath. Following the Demon King's Canon is no different from carrying a hatchling's corpse and walking into a dragon's lair. It is a foolish, idiotic act. That Canon—!"
Berze shouted, veins bulging.
"—is garbage!"
"...!"
"...!"
In that instant, the greatest valedictorian in the Academy's history became its greatest lunatic.