The NTR Hero Knelt Before The Demon King – Chapter 5

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
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The word regret that came from the Demon King’s mouth…

In an instant, hearing that one word that hinted at a “denial” of something, I instinctively realized that she had no intention of sparing my life.

‘Damn it, after doing this much, shouldn’t she at least spare me? Is she really going to kill me right now?!’

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, already gripped by the dire situation that teetered on the edge of life and death, I began to spiral into uncontrollable panic.

I had only just barely managed to come up with a plausible excuse and desperately tried to push it forward.

But now, with my final effort completely blocked, I no longer had the capacity to think of anything else.

‘Am I really… going to die..? I’m going to die? Really?.. Is this it? Am I really going to die here without doing anything?’

The fear of death began to vividly overwhelm me as I faced the cold reality that everything was about to end without me being able to do anything.

Fear of a cold end, where everything would come to a close with nothing achieved, quickly wrapped around my heart. I was no longer able to think clearly.

‘I don’t want to die! After all I’ve been through… If this is how it’s going to end, I might as well have died back there with those damn women! I can’t die like this, so meaninglessly!’

A scream of survival began to echo from within me.

Driven by that desire, I began to plead in a voice soaked with despair, no longer able to consider how much worse the situation might become.

“P-please… spare me…”

Begging for my life—an action unthinkable for a warrior who valued honor. There was a chance the Demon King, disgusted by this pitiful display, might give me a more painful death, but even so, I couldn’t stop myself from pleading.

My weapon had already been confiscated, and with one of my arms barely functioning, fighting the Demon King was impossible to begin with.

All that was left was to risk falling into the abyss of hell by begging for mercy.

So, abandoning any sense of honor as a hero, I lowered my head in submission before the Demon King.

At that moment…

“…!”

A soft touch suddenly fell on my bowed head, and before I could even process it…

In my ears…

I began to hear the Demon King’s voice, tinged with what felt like pity.

“Very well… I will spare you.”

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The hero stood before her, his expression full of despair and resignation.

Looking at him, the Demon King couldn’t help but feel genuine pity once again.

Though he was her enemy, he was someone deserving of respect for his abilities and character.

However, now he had been betrayed by his comrades, and to make matters worse, even his last shred of honor had been utterly shattered.

As both a hero and a warrior, he had lost everything. His pathetic, pitiful state was painful to witness.

With such a defeated smile, the hero spoke to her, saying that he wished to live a different life. At the same time, he denounced the past in which he had lived with honor and conviction as foolish and
meaningless.

‘How tragic. A hero who had never wavered has been broken to this extent…’

From what she had heard from her magic and her subordinates, she knew of his impressive exploits. As someone who had built her strength to face this hero as her greatest rival, the Demon King showed a moment of true sincerity as she spoke.

“…What a pity…”

“!…”

Hearing her words, the hero’s expression briefly shifted in surprise, then darkened further.

Perhaps the fact that it was the Demon King herself offering him such pity caused even greater turmoil within him.

And then…

“…Please… spare me…”

“…”

The hero’s words.

The deep despair in his voice told the Demon King that whatever remnants of the man’s pride that had barely been holding on had now completely collapsed.

Despair, agony, and regret were all that remained in the hero.

Standing in opposition to her—her equal, and thus, someone she had never felt indifferent towards since the moment she first encountered him.

Watching him now, broken beyond repair, she felt a strange sense of bitterness and pity as her hand, almost without thinking, began to gently stroke the poor man’s head.

If she could, she wanted to say something comforting to him in that moment.

Moreover, if possible, she began to wonder if she might be able to win over the heart of this mentally shattered man and bring him to her side.

Though she genuinely pitied him… if he did not actively seek death and instead harbored hatred for those who had betrayed him, the Demon King sincerely hoped that the hero would become her subordinate.

That had been her original purpose for coming here in the first place.

The issue was that the Demon King, who had no experience in matters like this, wasn’t sure if her words could soothe the hero’s mind.

‘If I had known, I would’ve brought Belzebuth with me… It was a mistake to insist on coming here alone.’

Regretting that she hadn’t brought her more eloquent subordinate, the Demon King pondered her options and then, after some thought, spoke.

Her words were clumsy, even by her standards, and certainly not the most comforting.

“I understand… I will spare you.”

“…!”

Even as she said it, the Demon King couldn’t help but feel like it was an awkward thing to say.

Yet… to her surprise, the hero showed a genuinely shocked expression.

In an instant, a glimmer of light returned to his face, which had been moments away from death.

Feeling a bit puzzled, the Demon King, caught up in the moment, decided to continue speaking her thoughts aloud.

“I will spare you. And… I will grant you an opportunity that befits you. A chance to regain your honor… A chance to take revenge on those who betrayed you and to have your name known throughout the world as a warrior.”

“…Ah…”

The hero’s expression grew blank as he processed her words.

Seeing him wavering, the Demon King, sensing the momentum, continued to speak without holding back.

“I will give you everything. Your honor, your revenge, and more, if you desire! So, hero, kneel before me and swear your loyalty… Pledge eternal obedience to me so that I may grant you all that you desire!”

Carried away by the moment, the Demon King found herself speaking forcefully.

But even as she spoke, she began to wonder if perhaps she had gone too far.

After all, though he had been betrayed by humans, the hero was still very much human himself.

Not just any human, but a noble hero who had dedicated his life to protecting them.

The thought that he might actually take up her offer… she couldn’t help but doubt it.

‘I spoke on a whim, but, ha… Surely, it can’t be this easy. No matter how much he’s been betrayed by humans, he’s still the hero…’

She felt another wave of frustration over her lack of conversational skills.

But then…

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Thud!

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“!?!”

The next moment, the hero knelt before her without hesitation.

And soon after, his voice rang clearly in her ears.

“I pledge my loyalty, Your Majesty the Demon King! Elron Savior, the hero, swears absolute loyalty to the Demon King, my new lord!”

“…”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the hero declared his obedience.

Though she had encouraged him to do so, the Demon King couldn’t help but feel a wave of shock at his response.

‘No way… Was my clumsy speech really that reassuring? But I have no talent for that sort of thing… Ah… no, that’s not it. This must be…’

As she looked at the hero’s face, still filled with disbelief, something became clear to her.

It was the intense desire now visible on his face.

A burning will as fierce as the flames of hell, completely different from the withering man he had been moments ago.

And as she gazed upon him, the Demon King instinctively realized the truth.

Why the hero had so easily bowed to her.

Why he had not chosen a clean death but had endured the humiliation of pledging loyalty to an “enemy” like her.

The reason was clear…

‘Revenge…’