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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Failure, and
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I'm the Demon King, but There Are Too Many Heroes
001. Failure, and
I was a model student.
I enrolled at the top of the Demon King Academy and graduated at the top.
No other demon race member was above me. No one could surpass me.
Standard of the Demon King
This theory, established since the demon world began its expansion, was something I delved into even deeper.
And when I finally became a true Demon King and was dispatched to a dimension, it shone brightly.
I followed the standard more faithfully than anyone else.
I proceeded with my grand plan step by step, just as the standard dictated.
I built a tower and kidnapped a princess.
I became the shadowy mastermind, stirring up strife, and even helped heroes grow in both material and moral ways.
In the tower where they grew past the 20th floor, I placed goblins on the 1st floor and balrogs on the 19th.
And then I sat on the throne at the top, waiting for the heroes.
Everything was perfect.
Everything flowed according to plan.
The standard was never wrong, and I was just one final step away.
Who would have thought I couldn't take that last step?
That I, a Demon King—the standard the demon world devoutly believed in—would be toyed with by mere humans? I never dreamed it possible.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Cough—
I spat up blood. An incomprehensible reality sometimes breeds denial.
I couldn't face reality.
Why couldn't my proud black flames harm the heroes?
Why could the hero's red blade, tougher than any metal in the world, pierce my scales and dig into my heart?
I couldn't understand it.
"How...?"
The question outweighed my fear of death.
I had faithfully followed the Standard of the Demon King.
I kidnapped princesses to direct the kingdoms' fury at me and became the shadowy figure to buy the anger and sorrow of even more people.
That made me stronger.
The restrictions on dimensional interference were mostly lifted, and much of the land had been demonized—total conquest was within reach.
Next, I helped the heroes grow.
Their special emotions were priceless. That's why the standard said to raise them and devour them.
I raised them according to its teachings. All I had to do was sit at the top of the tower, indulge in the ripe heroes, and bask in demonic energy.
So why was I the one collapsing?
"How? You Demon Kings are always like this."
Heh.
The hero who had dented my grand plan sneered at me.
"You bring this on yourselves, yet you always make that 'I can't believe it' face. I just don't get it."
"What nonsense...!"
"You always kidnap a princess or prince to signal the humans: 'A Demon King's starting up, come stop me.' How much kinder could you be? Killing the king would cause real chaos in the kingdom."
But kidnapping the king turns that rage into greed, sparking wars among them for the throne.
"And you always send underlings after the heroes—carefully selected ones they can just barely handle."
Can't have the hero die midway. It's caution to not ruin the perfect dish.
That's what the standard teaches.
"And that's not all? If they head to the tower, you send monsters accordingly; if not, you send them anyway. Know what we do? We say thanks. They're always just risky enough to handle, so we gobble them up. It's amazing how you nail the difficulty. Even my parents weren't that meticulous."
"When we reach the tower? Even better. The first floor always has weak monsters. They get stronger gradually, perfectly matched to our level for training."
The hero bowed his head. He muttered a small "Thanks." It twisted my gut.
I realized something was wrong.
"Know what heroes call your towers? A stable gold mine loaded with food. A heavenly treasure trove."
He whispered.
The faith of the demon world, of Demon Kings, of me—it was wrong from the start.
It's not Demon Kings raising heroes to eat; it's heroes toying with and exploiting Demon Kings.
"Some heroes clear your towers all the way to the top except the boss. Why? Convenient. Even if you kill them all, they respawn in a few months. Best hunting ground ever. Oh, you Demon Kings barely communicate, so you probably don't know."
A hunting ground.
My tower.
"But sometimes, it gets stale. Boring. Then we just kill the Demon King. You make that 'incomprehensible' face as you die, and soon a new Demon King and tower appear. Fresh again."
An eternal hunting ground. How great is that?
"You were tougher than most. Lots of heroes died to you. But same playbook, so it was inevitable."
My mind reeled.
To a Demon King, heroes are pigs to eat anytime. We just fatten them up for better taste—pigs don't become dragons.
That was the belief of all Demon Kings and demons.
It was uprooted.
Heroes weren't pigs; they were dragons capable of slaying Demon Kings from the start.
And Demon Kings were raising the very dragons that could kill them—with their own hands.
No, it was the opposite all along. Heroes were playing Demon Kings for fools.
How? How could this be?
"Well, bye then, Demon King. Thanks for everything. I even made a name as a hero thanks to you. Wonder who'll come next to entertain us."
The hero laughed. Heroes laughed. Their blatant mockery burned into my eyes.
"I...! I am a Demon King! How dare scum like you mock me!"
"King? Any kings here?"
"We've got generous uncles, though. Who else looks after us so sincerely than you Demon King bastards?"
"Right. Yeah."
They cackled.
Rage surged. I couldn't contain the explosive heat. So I didn't.
"If I'm going, I'm not going alone."
My pierced heart was losing power.
I'd die here no matter what.
Then I'd punish them before I go. Make them pay for mocking a Demon King.
Even if it cost my last life.
I crushed my heart. Roused all my demonic energy.
Flames roared, heat rippled.
"This bastard's up to something!"
"Cut his head off now!"
The heroes realized too late and shouted. Desperate movements. A cold blade aimed for my neck.
Slice—
My throat stung. Vision flipped.
But it was too late.
In my tumbling view, I saw my headless body sprawl. My heart, pierced by the hero's sword, swelled with black heat.
The gathered demonic energy exploded through my heart as the conduit.
I saw the heroes fleeing desperately.
Black heat devoured everything.
Ah.
Hot.
My flames burn this hot.
My life flashed before me like a lantern. Doubts and regrets settled in.
The standard was wrong.
If I'd known it made heroes see Demon Kings as suckers, I'd never have followed it.
If I got one more chance...
I'd toss that standard to the orcs.
But the regret came too late.
Vision went black.
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'...plea.'
My mind floated in darkness.
I'm dead. Is this the afterlife?
Where am I going?
'...se, Da...'
A faint voice tickled my ears. But my hazy mind didn't care to listen.
"Berge Dayas! Are you here?!"
In that instant—
Vision brightened. I bolted upright.
It was an auditorium. Hundreds of demons stared at me.
What the hell?
"Berge Dayas! Come forward, quickly!"
The confusion was brief; I realized the emcee on stage kept calling me.
I rushed onstage. A seasoned vampire greeted me.
"Berge Dayas. You're not usually like this. Why on graduation day?"
His worried voice let me infer a lot.
Graduation ceremony, this setting.
The vampire Chairman pinned a red badge on my chest—the symbol of the Demon King given to all graduates.
Then it hit me.
This was the Demon King Academy graduation ceremony from 15 years ago.
I was the top graduate, a prodigy drawing everyone's attention.
"It's nothing."
"Good. The school—everyone—has high hopes for you."
The Chairman recited exactly what he'd said back then, word for word.
I couldn't understand why I'd returned to graduation day.
But a chance like this? I couldn't deny it.
"Thank you. I'll do my best."
"Good."
The Chairman patted my shoulder. Then the runners-up and other cadets came up one by one.
They all got their badges.
- Graduates, please turn to face the audience.
I turned. Hundreds of demons celebrated our graduation.
- Now, the oath for our new Demon Kings begins.
- Top graduate Berge Dayas will read it on behalf of all.
⚙ OATH OF THE DEMON KING ⚙ [1. A Demon King must build a tower in the assigned world.] [2. A Demon King must kidnap a prince or princess.] [3. Become the shadowy mastermind, incite strife, and leave traces pointing to yourself.] [4. A Demon King must support the hero's growth materially and morally.] [5. Place low-level demons and monsters on the lower floors, increasing difficulty upward. The Demon King must always wait at the summit for the hero.] [6. The tower...]
That was...
The Standard of the Demon King.
The things I'd seen endlessly, memorized until my head hurt, and followed to the best of my ability.
The garbage that led to my death, turning me into a hero's plaything.
And now I had to read it. Swear before everyone to follow it faithfully.
Bullshit.
- Berge Dayas?
It's a moronic rule. A disastrously wrong foundation of trash from the start.
I didn't want to read it. No intention to.
- Please begin reciting the great Standard of the Demon King promptly.
The emcee urged me.
I knew denying the standard publicly was a grave sin.
That it'd ruin my bright future.
But I'd died because of it. Been mocked because of it.
"I refuse."
So I hated it more than I'd ever loved or believed in it.
The hall fell silent in an instant.
"I can't make that retarded oath. Following the Standard of the Demon King is no different from carrying a hellhound corpse into a dragon's lair—it's stupid and idiotic. That standard is!"
Berge bellowed, veins bulging.
"Trash!"
"...!"
"...!"
The Demon King Academy's star top graduate became the ultimate fool in that moment.