Chapter Text
"This is bad... This is really bad..."
Twilight was crouching down under his office desk while the castle was in a frenzy, the demons running around getting ready for battle.
The reason why? The hero was arriving, of course!!!!
It made no sense. The human kingdom had paused its advances to invade the demon castle and save the princess! The hero's group was free of their duty for the time being!
According to M.O.T.H.E.R.'s calculations, even if their advances were to continue, at the pace the hero had been going before, they should have taken at least a year to arrive! So why?!?!
"WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!?!"
This was not good. Not good at all... What should he do?!?!
He knows. He knows because he was stupid and didn't lie when the hero had asked him if it really was him.
He didn't lie. He couldn't lie. Not when looking into those clear blue eyes that shone with hope.
At the time, he was so relieved. So relieved that Hee didn't chastise him, didn't scream or curse at him while he was being dragged away by Alrune.
Rather, he was smiling.
His smile could blind a million suns. Twilight was so glad he could still see that he himself was practically blinded, becoming limp in his retainer's grasp.
"Does that mean he likes me...?"
"No!!! He just... Well!!! He just...!!! It's in my head!!! Yeah!!! It's all in my head!!! I'm sure!!!"
That's why he doesn't understand... If he wasn't disappointed, why show up now at the demon castle?!?
Even through the noise outside, he heard someone enter his office and scurry over to hide by his side, pushing him while doing so. Only then did they notice his presence.
It was the princess.
—....—
—....—
"—Princess...?"
"—WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!?!"
The princess, who looked like her soul had left her body, suddenly screamed in anger.
"—TWILIGHT-KUN!!!! YOU ARE THE DEMON KING!!! WEREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING READY TO FIGHT RIGHT NOW?!?! HEES-SOMETHING-KUN IS ALMOST HERE, YOU KNOW?!?!?!"
The princess, who was hiding from her supposed savior, was saying that.
The irony did pass by him, but he didn't have the time nor the mood to point it out to her right now.
"—I'm not ready..." Twilight murmured, shaking a bit.
"—Huh?" she said, not understanding him.
"—I'M NOT READY!!!!!"
The dam holding his emotions finally exploded.
"—I'M NOT READY!!! NOT READY AT ALL!!! WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?!? HOW DID HE ARRIVE SO FAST?!? HE USUALLY GETS LOST SO MUCH THAT I NEED TO SHOW UP TO SHOW HIM THE WAY! THIS MAKES NO SENSE!!!"
"—WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'MAKES NO SENSE'?!?! IT'S YOUR FAULT HE IS HERE!!! YOU MOTIVATED HIM TOO MUCH!!!"
"—HUH?!? WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'MOTIVATED HIM'??? HE HAS NO REASON TO FEEL MOTIVATED AT ALL!!! AFTER ALL, I—"
Twilight's rapid-fire complaints between the two of them were cut short by the crystal on top of the table that was connected to the screaming voices of the ten guardians who were trying to get the castle ready for the sudden invasion, with Hades in charge.
"—WHERE IS THE UNDEAD ARMY?!"
"—ARE THE WEAPONS READY?!?!"
"—THEY ARE READY AND IN POSITION!"
"—THE PRINCESS WENT INTO HIDING!"
"—GOOD! PREPARATIONS ARE COMPLETE! M.O.T.H.E.R.! WHERE IS THE HERO?!?!"
"—HE IS—"
Suddenly, the voices were cut off by the sound of the live camera, which now echoed throughout the room.
"—I ARRIVED!!! DEEE!!!!"
Hee's voice cut through the entire demon castle as he and his party nearly crashed through the castle doors.
Suddenly, the demons who had been rushing around stopped.
Silence.
Suya and Twilight exchanged horrified glances.
"—..."
"—..."
The princess took a deep breath.
"—...It's still your job to receive him properly, you know?"
The Demon King slumped down.
"—I know...."
She was right.
—Then go.
—...I can't.
—Why?
—BECAUSE HE IS THERE!!!!
—Sigh, you know, you could just—
BOOM
An explosion could be heard.
That's right, the hero was here after all.
Here. In the demon castle.
The castle full of demons.
The human Hero.
BOOM
Another explosion.
—....
—....
That's right! While the so-called Demon King Twilight was having his existential crisis, the demon castle was under attack by their enemy forces!
"God, I'm the worst."
He thought, for no god in particular. Actually, it would be better if no god knew he was acting like this at all.
—.... Right.... I'm the Demon King after all.
And so he got up.
Meanwhile, the demon army was fighting with all their might against their invaders.
For them, logically, the Demon King must be preparing to fight, right? It's his final grand battle against the hero, after all! After all, that's exactly the excuse he gave when he went into hiding.
To be fair, he did collect all his pre-ordered final boss items. He was already wearing his armor (like usual) and had enough mana. The only thing that he was lacking was courage.
Not that the others knew that...
He was working on that, though....
So they held themselves as best as they could against the hero's party.
That's what was supposed to happen, at least.
The hero's party.... Was too strong!!!!!
I mean, they DID finish the areas that were supposed to take a year in about a month. So they HAD to be absolutely powered up, right? God, did they even sleep?
So, during a particularly difficult fight, when the dust from Sandra's attack finally cleared, he noticed.....
—the hero ... HE'S GONE!!!!!