The Heroes Who Executed Me Are Obsessed With Me

The Holy Sword, Excalbren.

Forged by the dwarves using the extremely scarce ten-thousand-year stone, it was imbued with sacred power by having divine blessings inscribed into it by the priests—thus becoming a vessel capable of holding divine energy.

It was a weapon that required impossible resources to create, but even then, it was nothing more than an object.

Its role was meant to be limited solely to the Hero's weapon.

Originally.

“…Excalbren.”

Yuru furrowed her brow as she looked at Excalbren before her.

“Did you come looking for your old master?”

Vmmmm.

The blade vibrated as if to affirm it.

“Open your mouth, why don’t you?”

But Yuru refused to take that as an answer. Excalbren ceased its hum, and then spoke.

『My master's call has ceased.』

“Yeah. It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?”

Yuru let out a hollow laugh.

“You already knew something had happened to him, didn’t you?”

『I do not make judgments.』

“If you don’t make judgments, then why are you here now?”

『……』

Excalbren gave no answer. Yuru bit her lip.

Excalbren was never meant to develop a will of its own. After all, an ‘object’ is just that.

And yet, through its time with Clay, Excalbren had gained strength beyond that of a mere weapon—and eventually awakened a will. Everyone praised it as the birth of the ‘Soul Sword’ brought about by the Hero.

Back then, even Yuru thought Clay had achieved a great feat.

“You’re an abomination.”

But not anymore.

“A parasite clinging to your master.”

Excalbren required Clay’s life force to maintain its self-awareness. There was no reason for Clay to give up his life energy—but he had still done so, sharing bits of it with the sword.

Clay claimed it was just enough not to shorten his lifespan. But Yuru didn’t believe it. The sword, which had once struggled to form even words, had begun to speak in full sentences.

It hadn’t evolved on its own. It had been slowly devouring more and more of Clay’s life force to grow.

“Clay was lenient with you, but I’m not.”

Yuru raised a hand, and magical circuits instantly etched themselves across the back of it.

“You’re defective.”

A malformed piece of trash born from a botched process—one that no one questioned only because Clay was the Hero.

“He would’ve been fine without you. He still is.”

Yuru had no intention of letting Excalbren reunite with Clay.

“Disappear.”

Ziiiiing!

The surrounding mana rushed toward Yuru, condensing into multiple spheres that then hurtled toward Excalbren.

『I made a vow.』

Excalbren rotated from top to bottom, slicing through one of the approaching spheres.

『That if my master did not call for me for a long time, I would go to him before my life force ran out.』

“What?”

『If my master is dead, then I will become his tombstone.』

Whoosh!

With a single, swift movement, Excalbren cleaved through all the other spheres.

BOOM!

The orbs exploded mid-air. Yuru charged forward, conjuring an ice sword from the ground and seizing it.

“Then I’ll keep you company until your life runs out.”

Clang!

Thus began the clash between a masterless sword and a twisted mage.

♧

BOOM!

The disturbance reached all the way to Barungenia.

“Lord Demon King.”

Cardin approached Clay and spoke.

“It seems something’s happening outside.”

He reached toward the sword at his waist.

“I’ll go check it out.”

“No.”

Clay stopped him.

“It’s fine.”

“Sir? But…”

“I already know who it is.”

At those words, Cardin’s eyes widened.

“You know who it is…? An intruder?!”

“Not an intruder. More like… a spy would be a better term.”

Clay had already sensed the presence of another during his battle with Athanasia—someone hiding in the crevices of the cliffs.

But he had chosen not to act on it. The observer had shown no intention of interfering, and provoking them could have drawn them into the fight with Athanasia—complicating everything.

That would’ve derailed the entire battle.

“Even if they’re just a spy, to watch you uninvited is… I should ensure they never open their eyes again…!”

“Calm yourself.”

Clay lifted the teacup before him.

“You wouldn’t be able to handle them anyway.”

“…Sir?”

“Don’t worry. It’s not as if I’m ignoring it without any plans in place.”

Yuru.

As he took a sip of tea, Clay lowered his gaze.

‘Have you nowhere else to go now…?’

She was the one responsible for laying waste to Marfane. Not only had she broken ties with the Holy Alliance, but she had also committed acts unforgivable even by the Blue Tower.

“She made it out alive, huh.”

Yuru had already expended most of her strength in the battle at Marfane. They had even ensured she would run into Yaphenon’s forces on her way out.

“Still not enough, I suppose.”

Even with the addition of Guardian Knights, they failed to kill her. Not that Clay had high hopes to begin with.

Yuru was a genius.

She grew stronger every time she brushed against death.

“A countermeasure, you say…”

Cardin glanced toward Clay, who sat in silence. Clay slowly turned his gaze to him.

“To use her.”

“To… use her?”

“Yes.”

Yuru had turned her back on humanity completely. But that didn’t mean she was on the demons’ side either. She only wanted Clay back. For her own peace.

Yuru.

Clay closed his eyes.

I have no intention of forgiving you.

He was already dead.

Even if resurrected, he was now living a life that had already been confirmed to end once.

Everything before that had already ended.

And yet—

“It still lingers.”

Whether it was regret or something else, the former party members still wanted Clay. He clenched his fist.

Crack!

The teacup cracked in his hand.

Hot tea spilled over his fingers.

And once spilled, it could never be retrieved.

“Cardin.”

Even so, Clay’s eyes remained fixed on the dripping tea.

“By becoming the Demon King, I’ve also inherited its burdens.”

Vengeance was no longer his alone.

Which meant that even his lingering attachments… must be used.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to win. Starting with this letter.”

He set the teacup down and pulled an envelope from his coat, handing it to Cardin.

“Lord Demon King, this is…?”

“Give it to Yuru.”

“Pardon?”

“That’s my countermeasure.”

Cardin stared at the envelope and swallowed dryly.

“Give this to Yuru?”

What on earth could be written inside?

A demand for her to surrender to the demons?

Cardin shook his head.

No… there’s no way.

To Clay, Yuru was someone he absolutely refused to forgive.

Then what…

With Beatrice away and the situation volatile, Cardin felt tension rising—but then he lowered his head to Clay.

“Understood.”

The only thing he could do was obey this inscrutable master.

♧

At the outskirts of the Demon Realm—

There, the elite mercenary company Raiden had arrived.

“So this is the place, huh.”

Raiden’s leader licked the scar on his lips as he looked over a village in ruins.

Witnesses claimed an unidentified woman had passed through this area with an army of moving corpses in tow.

“Looks like the rumors were true.”

Lately, whispers had emerged of Beatrice, one of the Demon King’s former Four Generals, gathering the demon forces again. Some even speculated that a new Demon King had been born. It was clear something was happening in the Demon Realm.

Which also meant—there was information to be had.

Raiden wasn’t just a mercenary outfit—they also traded in information. And if the value was high enough, they were willing to take the risk.

“Captain.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Isn’t this too dangerous?”

One of the subordinates asked nervously.

“Just look around. Whatever went through here—it wasn’t human.”

The village was utterly devastated. Homes turned to ash, bodies torn in half scattered across the streets.

“A monster.”

The subordinate swallowed hard.

“They’re gathering.”

“So what?”

“What do you mean, so what?! We’re not even working off a request—we’ve got no backup. What are we going to do if things go sideways?”

“What else?”

The captain shot him a flat look.

“If we don’t move without a request, we can’t charge premium for our info. If we take the risk, we take the reward.”

“Captain…”

“Enough.”

The captain’s brows furrowed.

“If you’re going to keep whining, turn back now. But don’t expect a single coin from whatever we make here.”

The subordinate shut his mouth, sighed, and stepped back. For a mercenary, especially one living job to job, walking away was often harder than any fight.

“I’ll… I’ll go.”

“Should’ve done that from the start.”

The captain turned toward the ruins and barked his next order.

“Search the area! If it looks valuable, take a closer look!”

His command spread, and the mercenaries scattered. They overturned boxes, stomped through burned buildings, and scoured every nook.

“Captain! Over here!”

“Silver coins!”

“Got something here too!”

The calls rang out as they found valuables.

“Jackpot from the get-go.”

The captain smirked, picking up a soot-covered necklace from the rubble of one building.

Whoever had come through this place—some kind of monstrous woman—hadn’t taken any valuables. Only killed.

It was unsettling, in a way.

But the captain didn’t care.

He wasn’t here to fight monsters.

Even as a high-ranking merc group, Raiden didn’t make money slaying beasts or demons. They earned their keep by scavenging and gathering intelligence.

“Heh, another payday.”

But then—

Aaaaagh! Gahhh! Damn it! KAAARGH!

Screams erupted.

“Huh?”

The captain twisted his head, alarmed. He rushed out of the ruins.

“What the—?!”

He saw it—his once-worried subordinate now caught in the grasp of a massive demon.

“Heh. I was getting bored.”

Black skin, two horns jutting from the forehead—an unmistakable demon.

The captain muttered, almost reflexively—

“M-Ma… Ma—Demon King…?”

“Demon King?”

The demon grinned.

“Being called that doesn’t sound so bad. Maybe I should give it a shot…”

BOOOOOM!

A sudden explosion of flame knocked the demon flat.

“KYAAAAAGHH!”

The subordinate was immediately incinerated.

But the captain couldn’t even turn to look. Because he knew who it was—there was no need to ask.

A woman hovered in the sky, two crimson wings unfurled behind her.

Beatrice.

“Geshkafor.”

She gazed down at the demon with a look of utter displeasure.

“I didn’t think you’d already made it this far. Letting your mouth run wild.”

“…Heh. Beatrice?”

Geshkafor rose from the rubble and looked up at her.

“Perfect.”

His eyes gleamed.

“Take me to this so-called new Demon King.”

(End of Chapter)