With Rigan now part of our group, we continued our journey up Nishino Mountain.
After about two hours of walking, we crossed the summit and began descending. As the sun sank behind the peaks, darkness crept in, and we decided to make camp nearby for the night.
I gathered firewood while Rigan foraged for edible fruits and nuts. The Dark Queen, with a graceful wave of her hand, ignited the wood with magic. Magic—how convenient, I thought, marveling at its ease.
We grilled the fish we had caught earlier in the river and began our meal.
As we ate, I explained to Rigan the purpose of our journey and the terrifying strength of these two companions.
“So that’s it!? You’re traveling for that reason? Then, when you return to your original world, will you have to fight each other as enemies again?”
Rigan’s question caused both Zeke and the Dark Queen to pause mid-bite.
“That’s right,” Zeke said quietly, staring into the flames rather than at her. “As long as the demons continue their invasion of the human world, it is our destiny to fight. If they ever stop… then that’s another story.”
The Dark Queen’s gaze remained fixed on the fire. “We have a reason to invade the human world. There is no avoiding battle.”
The peaceful atmosphere of our evening meal instantly grew tense.
“What reason? What justification do you have for attacking towns, taking innocent lives?” Zeke’s voice rose, unusually harsh.
“I do not give orders for my subordinates to take human lives… yet it is true that many of them have done so,” she admitted. “There is no denying that. But it was unavoidable.”
“Unavoidable!? How dare you! Do you know how many people died? Do you really think one word like that can justify it?” Zeke sprang to his feet, shouting at her.
The Dark Queen remained silent, her eyes steady. Several seconds of tense silence passed. Then, slowly, she lowered her gaze and tears began to fall.
Seeing her cry, Zeke exhaled deeply, calming himself, and sat back down.
“You know… even though we fought each other as hero and dark queen, we never really knew one another. Tell me… why was it unavoidable?” Zeke asked gently.
The Dark Queen took a deep breath and began to explain the current state of the demon world.
“Races like ours face an existential crisis,” she began. “Zeke, you’ve seen the Demon Castle yourself. The Demon Realm is a land without sunlight, its soil barren and lifeless. This is due to a substance unique to our world—what we call ‘Demon Essence.’
Demon Essence darkens the skies, blocks sunlight, and withers the land. It is like a mild poison.
Our enhanced physical abilities, magical power, and longevity evolved precisely to counteract this toxic substance. Young children cannot withstand it, and mortality among infants is high. For our species to survive, those who reach adulthood must live long enough to reproduce.
But even our evolution has limits. In recent years, the concentration of Demon Essence has risen sharply.
More demons are dying from its toxicity, while others, affected but not killed, become deranged and aggressive. Fights among demons have become rampant. Our world has descended into bloodshed.
We needed to find a new home in the human world.”
“Then why invade? You could have sought peace…”
“We tried peace! We appealed to every human king, one by one. We asked for a portion of land, anything at all, to secure a place for our people. We promised to serve them in any way possible in return.
But every ruler refused. Their reasoning was the same: ‘Demons on our land are too dangerous. Coexistence is impossible. We’re grateful if they simply vanish.’
No one took us seriously. So, we had no choice but to claim the land we needed through force.
Even then, I issued orders to avoid taking human lives. But those affected by Demon Essence ignored my commands. They slaughtered humans, provoking full-scale war.
I did not wish for conflict, but to protect my people and our species, there was no other choice. The war has grown too large—there is no turning back. Only one can survive: humans or demons.”
She spoke, tears streaming down her face, her body trembling slightly with each word.
“I… I had no idea,” Zeke said softly. “I didn’t know your people were suffering like this. I didn’t know the Dark Queen herself bore such a steadfast resolve. No wonder you are so strong.”
He turned to face her. “Listen… when we return to our world, let’s build a city together. A place where humans and demons can coexist.”
The Dark Queen’s eyes widened. She considered his words for a long moment before replying.
“Humans and demons have tried coexistence many times. But demons surpass humans in strength and magic. Humans quickly fear us, and conflict arises. The kings’ reasoning was correct.”
“Then it’s time to try differently,” Zeke said, smiling confidently. “Just because people in the past failed doesn’t mean we will. You can’t know until you try. And humans can stand equal to demons—I’ve already proven that.”
Seeing his grin, the Dark Queen’s composed facade began to crumble. Tears traced down her cheeks as she finally let her emotions flow.
For so long, she had longed to hear these words, to be allowed to lean on someone. Yet she carried the burdens of her people alone, facing humans’ rejection, waging war in solitude.
Zeke had just broken the chains on her heart, releasing all the emotions she had locked away.
For a long while, the Dark Queen cried, her voice soft but unrestrained.
To be continued…
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