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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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To demons, humans were nothing more than playthings to alleviate boredom and components to enhance their power.
The more cruelly a human was tortured in Hell, the stronger the demon became. And greater strength meant a higher position in Hell’s hierarchy.
Even after a human’s physical body perished from torture, their soul remained eternally bound to the demon, their screams of agony fueling its power. It was only natural for demons to view humans as such.
Or so it should have been.
Until two humans, a man and a woman, suddenly appeared in Hell and began slaughtering demons.
When the demons first encountered the two humans casually strolling through Hell, they attacked with glee. However, their amusement was short-lived.
Hundreds of demons were permanently eradicated by the black-haired woman wielding a holy sword, their corpses piling up into a small hill. They couldn’t even touch the hem of her garment.
Even with the holy sword’s advantage, this was Hell, the demons’ domain. They had expected to prevail, but the reality was far different.
Having failed to overcome the woman, the demons shifted their focus to the seemingly less formidable black-haired man beside her.
Compared to the woman who annihilated every demon in sight, the man merely finished off the few survivors. He naturally appeared to be an easier target.
The demons who rushed towards the man met the same fate.
Though his weapon wasn’t a holy sword, it radiated a comparable holy power. The first demon to attack realized this too late.
Though not as overwhelmingly powerful as the woman, the man effortlessly dispatched dozens of demons with his holy weapon.
It was clear that both humans were terrifying beings beyond their comprehension. The demons, leaving behind a hill of corpses, fled in terror.
They sought help from one of the Demon King’s closest advisors, a high-ranking demon who ruled this region.
However, their relief was short-lived.
“Your Imperial Majesty, are you familiar with this saying?”
“What is it?”
“They say the source of pain is the head. Therefore, destroying the head eliminates pain.”
“Your words are wise. I commend you.”
Despite my lame joke, Cecilia, with a slight nod of approval, crushed the head of the demon impaled on her holy sword, which had been screeching
“Kyaaaaa!”
A sickening crunch echoed as the contents spilled out. The dry earth became stained with thick, crimson blood.
Despite having slain countless demons, Cecilia’s clothes remained pristine.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the demonic residue evaporated upon contact, thanks to the holy sword’s power.
I glanced at my own dark uniform, splattered with crimson, and sighed. The holy sword was special.
“However, there is a flaw in your logic.”
“What is it, Your Majesty?”
“Why should I grant these vile creatures a painless death?”
We continued our conversation as we walked towards a massive demon, the one that had challenged Cecilia to a duel and fled in defeat.
It was the ‘Four-Winged Demon,’ one of the bosses in the Sanctuary of Demons DLC.
As a DLC boss, it was significantly stronger than most main game bosses, and its attacks were particularly troublesome for me.
Cecilia, having learned its attack patterns from me, had utterly dominated it, not allowing a single hit to land. The demon had been mercilessly pummeled.
Just as the Four-Winged Demon attempted to flee, Cecilia had struck it down with a sword beam-like attack.
That was why we were so casually strolling through Hell.
“…….”
Margarita watched our leisurely progress with wide eyes.
She stared back and forth between the fleeing demons and us, seemingly unfazed by the carnage.
Then, she spoke hesitantly.
“Um… you’re not from the Holy Kingdom, are you?”
“Do they address the Pope as ‘Your Majesty’ in the Holy Kingdom? Even if you’ve forgotten everything about the human world after all this time, I shall forgive your ignorance.”
“N-No! That’s not what I meant…”
Margarita flinched under Cecilia’s chilling gaze.
The memory of the holy sword at her throat was clearly fresh in her mind.
Despite her demeanor, Cecilia was in a good mood. She would likely overlook most transgressions.
“We are from the Aeternum Empire. As I mentioned, she is the current Empress.”
I answered for Cecilia. Margarita glanced at her nervously.
“I know. I heard you. But it’s just so unbelievable. The Empress of the Empire wielding a holy sword, and your weapon as well. I may not look like it, but I was once a paladin. I can sense the holy power within your weapon.”
A quiet “not anymore” followed.
“Honestly, I never imagined the Empress of the Empire using a holy sword. How—”
“Curiosity killed the cat, Margarita.”
Cecilia’s sharp gaze silenced Margarita.
Her reaction was understandable. She had used the holy sword to kill her own family, corrupted by demons.
Answering the question of why the Empress of the Empire wielded a holy sword would inevitably dredge up those painful memories.
“Delta. As a knight, your duty is to attend to the Empress. Why are you straying?”
“Forgive me, Your Majesty.”
I had been walking slightly away from Cecilia and moved closer at her words.
“Closer.”
I moved closer still.
“Closer.”
Even closer.
“Closer.”
Close enough that our arms would brush with each movement.
“That will suffice.”
Cecilia finally nodded in satisfaction. We were now uncomfortably close. Our arms brushed with every step.
I felt Margarita’s pointed stare. We had claimed to be Empress and knight, but our actions suggested otherwise.
The rest of the journey was quiet. There were no further conversations, and no demons foolish enough to attack us.
After some time, we reached the Four-Winged Demon, collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath, its severed limbs bleeding profusely.
“Um……”
“Do you still have something to say?”
Cecilia, annoyed, turned to Margarita, who had spoken again.
Margarita, flinching, seemed determined to ask her question.
“Are you two… um… lovers?”
“…….”
Cecilia didn’t deny the unexpected question.
She simply stared at Margarita, her expression impassive and imperious.
After a long silence, just as Margarita began to tremble, Cecilia spoke, her expression slightly altered.
“Why do you think so?”
“Um… you have similar hair color, similar clothing color, and your weapons are also somewhat similar…? I thought maybe you were coordinating?”
Now that she mentioned it, I mentally compared our appearances.
We both had jet-black hair, wore black uniforms, and wielded swords radiating holy power. It was easy to mistake us for a coordinated pair.
Moreover, though technically Empress and knight, our actions suggested a different dynamic.
Cecilia, after observing Margarita with an unreadable expression, turned away.
“Think what you will. I do not have the time to address such trivial misunderstandings.”
‘She didn’t deny it.’
Given her personality, I had expected a “He is mine” sort of response. Her reaction was surprising.
Her golden eyes shifted to me. I quickly moved to her side. Her expression remained unchanged, unreadable.
We reached the gasping Four-Winged Demon. It struggled weakly, trying to escape.
“You require this creature’s eye?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“How convenient. Its gaze upon my person is repulsive.”
The device required two items dropped by DLC bosses and two items found in the field. One of the boss drops was this demon’s eye.
I had initially thought it would drop automatically upon death, like the Bloodstained Sword from the Human Butcher, but I decided to extract it beforehand, just in case.
The demon flapped its wings desperately at the mention of removing its eye, but with most of its wings torn and shredded, flight was impossible.
Cecilia gestured with her chin.
“Begin.”
“Huh? Oh, yes.”
Margarita fumbled for a moment, then nodded, drawing her sword and approaching the Four-Winged Demon.
Without hesitation, she plunged her blade into its eye socket.
The demon shrieked and thrashed, but it was all it could do.
“Delta.”
As I watched the bikini-clad woman diligently extracting the demon’s eye, Cecilia called my name.
“What is it, Your Majesty?”
“What are your thoughts on her question?”
“……Pardon?”
“Do not make me repeat myself that would be a bad habit. I asked your opinion on her inquiry regarding our relationship.”
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Thanks for the translation. I feel bad for the demons. I wish the characters had more difficulty dealing with things.