With Ligan now traveling alongside them, the group continued deeper into Mount Nishino.
After walking for about two hours, they crossed the summit and began descending.
By then, the sky had turned a deep crimson—and slowly, it was swallowed by night.
Night falls fast in the mountains.
As soon as the last rays of light disappeared between the trees, the world was enveloped in silence and darkness.
“…Let’s camp here for the night.”
At Zeke’s suggestion, everyone began preparing.
Christopher gathered fallen branches and dry wood to build a fire.
Ligan dashed into the forest and returned with berries and wild fruits.
The Demon Queen lit the fire with magic.
Magic really is convenient, Christopher thought.
The flames flickered gently, casting long shadows across the ground.
Fish they had caught earlier in the river were skewered on sticks and held over the fire.
Sizzle…
The sound of fat dripping and roasting filled the air, along with a rich, savory aroma.
It was a quiet night.
During the meal, Christopher explained their journey’s purpose to Ligan—along with just how terrifyingly powerful Zeke and the Demon Queen truly were.
“So that’s why you’re traveling…
Then… when you return to your world… will you two have to fight each other again?”
Ligan’s question made both Zeke and the Demon Queen pause.
“…That’s right,” Zeke said, staring into the fire.
“As long as demons invade the human world, we’re destined to fight.
Unless they stop.”
“We have our reasons,” the Demon Queen replied quietly.
“War is unavoidable.”
The atmosphere shifted instantly. The warmth of the meal vanished.
“Reasons?” Zeke snapped.
“What reason could possibly justify attacking innocent people and taking their lives?”
His voice was sharp—far sharper than usual.
“I never ordered my people to kill humans,” she said.
“…But it’s true that many did.”
She lowered her gaze.
“I won’t deny that.
But… it couldn’t be helped.”
“Couldn’t be helped!?” Zeke shot to his feet.
“Do you have any idea how many people died!?
You think anyone can accept that excuse!?”
He glared at her.
She said nothing.
Seconds passed.
Then—
A tear fell.
Zeke exhaled slowly, calming himself, and sat back down.
“…Come to think of it,” he said more gently,
“we fought each other to the death… but we don’t actually know anything about each other.”
He looked at her.
“So tell me. What’s this ‘reason’ you couldn’t avoid?”
After a brief pause, the Demon Queen began to speak.
“…Our race is facing extinction.”
Her voice was quiet, but steady.
“You’ve seen the Demon Realm. No sunlight.
A barren land where nothing grows.”
“The cause is something called miasma—a substance in our air.”
“It darkens the sky, blocks the sun, and poisons the land.”
“It’s a mild toxin.
Our strength, our magic, even our long lifespans…
they all evolved to resist it.”
“But children… can’t endure it.”
Her voice trembled.
“The mortality rate is high.
So our bodies evolved to survive longer… to preserve our race.”
“But we’ve reached our limit.”
“In recent years, the miasma has grown denser.”
“More and more are dying.
Others lose their sanity… becoming violent… killing each other.”
Her hands clenched.
“The Demon Realm has become a place soaked in blood.”
“So we planned to migrate… to the human world.”
Zeke frowned.
“Then why invasion?
Why not peace?”
“We tried!” she cried.
“We begged every human king—one by one!
We asked for land. Just a small place to live!”
“We offered everything—cooperation, strength—anything!”
Her voice broke.
“But every answer was the same.”
We don’t trust demons.
Coexistence has always failed.
If your race dies out on its own, that’s convenient.
“…No one listened.”
Tears streamed down her face.
“So we had no choice but to take land by force.”
“I ordered my people not to kill humans…
but those driven mad by miasma disobeyed.”
“And that sparked war.”
A full-scale war.
“I never wanted this…
But to protect my people… there was no other way.”
Her voice shook.
“It’s too late now.
The war has grown beyond control.”
“…It’s either humans… or demons.”
She trembled as she finished.
Silence followed.
“…I didn’t know,” Zeke said quietly.
“I had no idea things were that bad.”
He turned toward her.
“…No wonder you’re so strong.”
Then—
“Hey.”
He smiled.
“When we get back… want to build a town together?”
Her eyes widened.
“A place where humans and demons can live side by side.”
She stared at him.
“…That’s impossible,” she whispered.
“We’ve tried before. Many times.”
“Humans always end up fearing demons.
That’s just how it is.”
“That was then,” Zeke said.
“Just because they couldn’t do it doesn’t mean we can’t.”
He grinned.
“You won’t know unless you try.”
“And hey—what was that about demons being superior?” he added with a laugh.
“That kinda pisses me off.”
“I’ve already proven humans can stand toe-to-toe with demons, haven’t I?”
He flashed a confident smile.
The Demon Queen’s expression broke.
Tears spilled freely down her cheeks.
Then—
She began to cry.
Not as a ruler.
But as a woman.
Christopher watched silently.
She had carried everything alone.
The fate of her people.
The burden of a king.
The rejection of the world.
She had locked away her weakness—her desire to lean on someone.
Even when it overflowed, she forced it shut.
But now—
Zeke had broken those chains.
And released what she had been holding back all this time.
Under the quiet night sky…
The Demon Queen wept.
For a long, long time.
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