Chapter 53 - Are You Stronger Than the Demon King? (1)
A King's Weakness
Inside the tailor shop, a slime darted around, bringing Clay various items.
"...Thank you."
What it brought were thick coats, scarves, and other cold-weather gear.
The slime had prepared them upon hearing news of his trip to the North.
"This is enough."
Clay stopped the slime, who was still trying to bring him more clothes even though he was already heavily bundled.
The slime, which had been bouncing around, turned away with a dejected look.
"If I put on any more, I won't be able to walk."
Rin, who was nearby, appeased the slime in Clay's stead.
"It's not because he doesn't like the design, so don't worry."
Only then did the slime stretch its body, then bounced away with the clothes, disappearing somewhere.
"It's not going to bring more, is it?"
Rin giggled at Clay's words.
"You seem quite lenient with the slime."
"Because it's just genuinely trying to be kind to me."
Clay then sat on a nearby chair.
"Rin, you can speak more comfortably with me. When it's just the two of us, like this."
"I'm afraid I'll make a mistake. Especially when that brute is around, I feel like he'll try to find fault again. Ugh."
"Well, yes... cough!"
Almost simultaneously, Clay coughed, and a little blood trickled from his mouth.
Rin, noticing it, knelt beside him with a startled expression.
"Your Majesty!"
Rin, watching Clay gasp for breath, discovered something and her eyes widened.
"This is...!"
It was a bruise.
Clay pulled his collar closed, covering the bruise.
"There was some impact."
"Impact? You mean..."
Rin recalled Geshkafo hitting Clay.
But at that time, Clay had appeared perfectly fine.
He had stood straight like a massive rock embedded in the ground, not showing the slightest movement.
"You weren't okay?"
"It's hard to be okay, isn't it?"
Geshkafo was a successor personally designated by a former Heavenly King.
Even if he was a bit dim, he wasn't just some random brute.
"He was strong. That's why I pretended to be fine."
Clay said in a low voice.
"I am human. To demons who value strength, I appear to be incredibly weak."
"But Your Majesty was the Hero, weren't you? The one who even defeated the previous Demon King..."
"Not anymore."
He was not in a state where he could fight as he did in his Hero days.
"The me who freely used Holy Power is no more. I'm forced to convert it into magi to fight. Do you understand what this means?"
"Hmm, it means there's a loss of power, I suppose."
"That's right."
Unlike directly using power, he had to go through one more step.
Naturally, loss was inevitable in that process.
"If I could increase the total amount of power I can accept, a little loss wouldn't matter, but with my damaged body, I can't handle it right now."
He had to adapt by gradually increasing the total capacity over time or find another solution.
"And any demon who comes to challenge me will quickly realize this state I'm in."
Clay had no choice but to draw out power and fight whenever necessary.
Demons, who constantly circulate magi as easily as breathing, generally maintained a consistent level of power unless overexerting themselves.
To make instantaneous explosive power their main weapon meant, in other words, that they were weak at other times.
And demons had highly developed senses.
Especially those with strong bodies.
"Someone relatively rational like you might not, but most demons will try to evaluate me based solely on their senses. Am I wrong?"
Rin swallowed dryly at his words.
He was certainly right.
Even if they didn't like to hear it, demons frankly had a side that was closer to beasts.
In judging phenomena based on senses, they were wild and impulsive.
When Clay wasn't unnecessarily emitting power, there was a high possibility they would mistakenly judge him as "weak."
Even Geshkafo himself must have thought he stood a chance, which was why he rushed Clay.
"I'll find a way."
Rin, flustered, clenched her fists and said.
"Just like the demonic sword Shiltnaro can store and utilize magi, perhaps a separate storage space can be arranged for Your Majesty."
"Thank you."
Clay smiled at her.
Seeing that, Rin couldn't help but flinch for a moment.
It was a smile too clear, unfitting for one bearing the title of Demon King.
Of course, the smile vanished from Clay's face in an instant.
"But even if you create a separate magi storage for me, I won't needlessly exude power to maintain my dignity."
"Hmm, to prevent battles from even starting, it might be good to display some authority, though."
"No."
"B-but, even so, once battle begins, I can assist you so that Your Majesty doesn't overexert yourself."
"That will suffice."
Clay sighed.
"Rin."
"Yes?"
"I'd appreciate it if what you just saw remained a secret."
What she had just seen.
It was not something that Clay, who had just ascended to the Demon King's throne, could show to just anyone.
"Oh, yes! Of course."
"I'm counting on you."
"But then, should I keep it a secret from Beatrice and Kardine too?"
Clay stared at Rin, who had a question mark on her face.
Rin smiled awkwardly and replied.
"I just asked because I didn't know. I'll take care of it..."
Clay coughed a few more times, watching Rin sweat, looking like she had made a mistake.
As Clay continued to cough up dead blood, Rin urgently held out her palm.
Her hand touched Clay's back.
Instantly, the magi that had been running wild due to his body being weakened by injury calmed down somewhat.
Clay took a deep breath.
"Ah, oh. Did I touch you too freely?"
Rin recoiled in surprise.
Clay turned to her and asked.
"How did you do that?"
"Huh?"
"Just touching me made me feel more at ease."
"Oh, this."
Rin said with an embarrassed expression.
"I have a high affinity for magi. By making physical contact like this, I can stabilize the magi in another person's body. Of course, I can't do this continuously, so I can't help for long periods."
"I'll ask you to do it occasionally."
"What?!"
"Of course, without others knowing."
"Secretly!?"
Rin raised her voice.
"Um, Your Majesty."
She was trembling slightly.
"I don't think Beatrice would like that very much."
"Hmm? Why not?"
"W-well."
Rin looked troubled and stepped back.
"When Beatrice comes, try discussing it with her. F-for now, I'll go!"
CLATTER!
Rin spun around and vanished from the tailor shop.
Clay merely tilted his head slightly, watching where she had disappeared.
***
Those deemed alien by the world often wished to have something of their own.
Because they couldn't easily connect with anyone else, when they became fixated on something, they wanted to pour all their accumulated loneliness into that one existence.
But finding such an object was an unpredictable matter, with no telling when or how it might succeed.
An ineffable, unfamiliar encounter, and some new emotion forged in that process, could suddenly awaken such a desire.
"What is this? Why is it so cold?"
The northern part of the demon realm.
It had always been a cold and barren land, but this biting cold was unfamiliar even to the demons living here.
"Has the north wind gotten stronger?"
"Huh? W-wait, the ground..."
"It's f-freezing?!"
The ground they stood on was turning into frozen wasteland.
In their startled eyes, they saw a woman walking.
"What is that again?"
Cold air was spreading outwards, centered around the woman.
Just as one demon was about to shout loudly, another demon rushed over and covered his mouth.
"Didn't you hear?! That's the Snow Witch!"
The Snow Witch.
A legendary being known to cover everything in ice.
"W-why is someone like that here?"
All the demons who heard the truth trembled in fear.
The fact of her appearance spread throughout the North like wildfire, soon leading all the demons there to hide and discuss countermeasures.
"That damned woman is freezing the entire North."
"We need a plan."
"But how?"
Naturally, no alternatives emerged.
"How about contacting the Demon King?"
A suggestion emerged amidst the discussions.
There was a moment of silence, then laughter erupted among the demons.
"The Demon King who's been quiet since Geshkafo left?"
"He's not a Demon King, he's just playing Demon King."
"Damn it, come up with a proper solution!"
Shouts filled the air. In that chaotic scene, no one could offer any other alternatives.
"It might actually be for the best."
A demon with a menacing expression and a single horn spoke from the center of the meeting place.
"Let's gather our strength among ourselves while we're at it."
After all, the demon race had failed to regroup properly since the previous Demon King's death.
"The more that damned woman turns the demon realm upside down, the more demons will feel a sense of crisis."
For now, the visible threat would feel more real than the usually dormant Holy State Alliance.
"Let's try it too."
"What?"
At someone's question, the horn-demon grinned.
"Playing Demon King."
At his words, a stir went through the group.
"Playing Demon King?"
"What does that mean?"
"Exactly that. An incompetent fool is calling himself the Demon King, right?"
This meant they could quickly move and seize the Demon King's position themselves.
"Let's use the Witch as an excuse to gather some power."
The pretext for expanding their forces was now clear.
Thinking of seizing control of the demon realm under the banner of resistance against the invader, the horn-demon chuckled.
"It sounds... pretty good?"
"We could become the highest-ranking officials."
"Damn it, let's do it!"
WAHAHAHA!
Just as the demons were quickly heating up with excitement.
KNOCK, KNOCK.
Someone knocked on the door of their gathering place.
"Huh?"
The horn-demon stopped laughing and turned towards it.
"Wha—"
BOOM!
Suddenly, the door shattered and flew inwards.
The horn-demon reflexively turned and dodged, but the demon behind him was hit by the door and sent flying.
"Who's there!"
While the horn-demon shouted, someone walked inside.
"?"
What appeared was a single demon with a sword.
As the horn-demon tilted his head, unsure of the identity, that demon stepped aside and bowed his head.
"Your Majesty, this way."
"Well done, Kardine."
Suddenly, everyone's gaze turned elsewhere.
A man with a pale face, like a grim reaper, walked in wearing black clothes.
"Demon King?"
The Demon King, Clay, opened his mouth, looking at the horn-demon who was muttering based on what he had just heard.
"Yes."
He continued to walk forward.
"The very Demon King you are underestimating."
About a palm's distance away.
Clay met the horn-demon's eyes directly and spoke.
"I hope, for your sake, you are not weaker than that Demon King."