The Heroes Who Executed Me Are Obsessed With Me

“Alright then—let’s finish this!”

At the southern edge of the northern region, stretched out long across the horizon.

As soon as Clay stopped and let her down, Selimia raised her ice blade high.

“Mr. Clay! Please give me that sword!”

“No.” Clay sighed, “Selimia. Do you not want to be of help to me?”

“…Huh?”

Selimia hesitated at the unexpected question.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You saw it too, didn’t you?”

Tia and Selvaro.

“Selvaro, you know well enough. But the Saintess—who rivals even a Hero—revealed herself. You felt it too, didn't you? That's why, even if briefly, you formed a temporary alliance.”

That much alone was proof enough: even Selimia—an incomprehensible being—couldn’t overwhelm what stood before them.

“And now here you are, trying to eliminate one of my own assets, putting us in greater danger. Just how foolish do you want to seem?”

Foolish.

At Clay’s blunt reprimand, Selimia’s expression stiffened.

—My lord, perhaps it would be better not to provoke her too much...

Even Syltanaro whispered through Magia, cautioning Clay.

“…You’re right.”

But against expectation, Selimia admitted her fault.

“Given the situation, I suppose I’m not enough to bring you victory on my own, Mr. Clay. I’m sorry.”

“At least you know how to reflect.”

Clay said quietly.

“Selimia. I don’t keep anyone near me unless they suit me. Let alone someone I’d call a partner—that requires an even higher standard.”

Selimia was an extraordinary being, yes—but still far from meeting that mark.

“If you want me to fulfill that absurd promise of mine, there’s only one way.”

“Wh-what is it?”

“Prove your value.”

That was the new rule of the Demon Territory.

“Not ‘strength’—‘value.’
You spent long enough acting in that palace. You should understand exactly what I mean.”

“…”

“If you can’t do that, you may as well make me your enemy.”

As Selimia fell silent, Clay extended a hand and spoke with a gentle voice.

“But I already know your greatest value.”

“…What?”

“Your unwavering devotion to me.”

A rare and precious thing.

“The way you haven’t wavered between who I was and who I am now… it feels almost like a luxury.”

“Ah…”

“Selimia. Trust me with that heart of yours.”

Clay looked her squarely in the eyes.

“I, at the very least, won’t deny the honest version of you.”

An affirmation of existence.

It was the highest gift either of them could give the other.

“…So this means I can stay by your side?”

“As long as you don’t die, of course.”

To Selimia—who sought to become his partner— those words were the beginning of something.

There was no verbal reply.

But her nod, filled with fierce resolve, said enough. And then Clay’s hand came to rest lightly atop her head.

Like brushing snow off the head of a snowman.

Seeing the scene, Syltanaro, still in Clay’s hand, thought to itself:

Perhaps our lord has a talent for enchanting people…

Even if the thought felt just a little blasphemous.

♧

The plaza before Barungenia.

When Clay returned with Selimia, a stir ran through the gathering.

『The Calamity of the North?!』

『Wasn’t she supposed to be sealed?』

『Whatever she is, there’s no doubt—she’s terrifying.』

Some demons knew who she was, others didn’t. All had something to say.

Among them, the one who looked most shocked—was none other than Geshkafor.

“What… is that.”

Having already suffered psychological damage from his fight with Demon King Clay, Geshkafor looked on, stunned by the impossible scene.

“He beat that and brought it here with him?”

The story of the Witch of the Snowfields had already spread across the North.

A Calamity said to blanket everything in ice. Someone who would never submit to anyone.

But no one really knew where she came from or why she moved.

Only old records of the ancient Witch of the Snowfields offered any clues to her path.

And even those records merely suggested one thing: destruction.

“How did he…”

Geshkafor murmured blankly—and fell silent.

No… if it’s him, maybe it’s possible.

Clay.

He wasn’t who Geshkafor had assumed he was.

He had once thought: because Clay had lived as a Hero, he’d never truly be able to live as a demon.

Let alone adapt to the role of Demon King, ruler of all demonkind.

But that was wrong.

Clay showed vision. He wasn’t like the former Demon King, ruled by rage.

Nor was he soft enough to be incapable of leading the demons.

Then…

Geshkafor drew in a slow breath.

I’ll have to make my decision too.

Now that even the Witch of the Snowfields had joined him, Clay was continuing to draw powerful forces to his side. It was obvious to anyone—the one unifying the demons properly was Clay.

Step. Step.

As Geshkafor stepped forward, all the surrounding demons turned toward him.

“Geshkafor.”

Lin approached and said quietly,

“You know what you need to do, right?”

She engraved a ring-like tattoo on Geshkafor’s neck together with Goltche.

As Lin made a slicing gesture across her neck, Geshkafor opened his mouth—

“Ku-ku-ku, kukukuku!”

He burst into sudden laughter, leaving Lin blinking in confusion.

But that confusion was soon erased as Geshkafor stepped forward himself.

Thud.

He dropped to one knee before Clay.

“This Geshkafor, if accepted, shall lend strength to Your Majesty’s path of conquest.”

A declaration.

One of the candidates for the Four Generals now pledged loyalty to Clay.

“……”

All eyes turned to Clay, who stood silently.

He looked down at Geshkafor with a face cold enough to freeze the world.

However—

“I accept your allegiance, Geshkafor.”

Clay did not bring up the disrespect Geshkafor had once shown him. He was not a ruler who dug up grievances he had already buried.

“From this moment, I appoint you as the fourth among the Four Generals.”

“!”

Everyone’s eyes widened in astonishment.

They had perhaps expected him to forgive the offense. But to immediately grant a title—that, no one had anticipated.

“However,”

Before the murmuring could begin, Clay added,

“If you fail to meet the qualifications, I will take everything back.”

That included the life he had just spared.

Geshkafor, fully aware of this, pressed his right fist to his left chest—not with fear, but with deep reverence.

“I accept.”

“Lin will show you to your position.”

With that, Clay turned and walked deeper into Barungenia.

The Witch of the Snowfields, who had drawn so many stares, followed him quietly like a shadow.

Left behind were Geshkafor, seated on the ground, Lin, and the murmuring crowd.

“……”

As Geshkafor turned to look at her, Lin made a face of exasperation and gestured once more across her neck.

“Y-you’re a General now—don’t mess it up!”

So passed yet another moment of chaos.

♧

The Northern Expedition Force of Hanumayer.

The knights trudged forward, unable to hide their grief.

“So… that was the Witch of the Snowfields…”

“And the former Hero really became the Demon King…”

“I still can’t believe it.”

They looked dazed, like they were still struggling to grasp what had happened.

But no one looked more devastated than Selvaro, Emperor of Hanumayer.

“Selimia… why…”

Even if she had lived confined to the palace, Selimia had always shown him affection as her brother. She didn’t just say kind things. She sometimes scolded him and even criticized his decisions.

But had all of that just been… part of the act?

Selvaro clutched his aching head, overwhelmed by doubt.

And beside him, one more person was lost in thought.

Clay…

Tia.

She kept glancing back, as if trying to catch sight of someone who had long vanished from view.

So you’ve truly gone down the path I never thought you would.

Tia hadn’t been the one to kill him.

But when she faced the resurrected Clay, she understood.

What Clay had lost was not just his life.

At the final moment, he had been lonelier than anyone.

Clench.

Her hand clenched tightly around the edge of her cloak.

Even if she hadn’t spoken at the execution, Even if she hadn’t dared defy the Holy Alliance—

If only she had trusted him wholeheartedly. Maybe then things would have been different.

But back then, lost and afraid, all she could offer was the pretense of sincerity.

Clay would have seen through that. He had always known her too well.

Sigh…

Her breath became ragged.

She took a slow step forward, barely able to keep walking.

I really have lost you, haven’t I…

Her vision blurred.

Not because she had been labeled an enemy, But because the rejection of her existence left her feeling so utterly alone.

So this is what it felt like for you, too…

Tia just walked.

Because that was all she could do now.

♧

The Demon King’s office.

The room fell into chaos again as Clay took his seat.

“Aren’t you a sword? Shouldn’t you be in the armory?”

“And why exactly did you follow him into the office? I told you to go with Cardin.”

Selimia and Syltanaro were already back at it, bickering as usual. Clay let out a sigh as he watched them.

We’ve got a long road ahead…

The fact that Selimia—one of the six Calamities—had come under his command more easily than expected wasn’t a bad thing.

But integrating her into the organization was another issue entirely.

After all, she wasn’t just some follower—she wanted to be his mate.

Mate…

Clay recalled Tia.

She had once been the closest person to him.

Tia had been royalty, and Clay the son of a palace gardener, but their difference in status had never been a barrier.

Tia had supported him completely when he became the Hero.

Her feelings were clear.

But Clay had never read more into them than what was shown.

He had liked things just as they were.

Even if the life of a Hero was harsh, he had never feared it.

The burden of duty had never felt heavy.

Perhaps…

He had simply been content to be closer to her through that role.

To do things together that would’ve been impossible for a commoner and a princess otherwise.

“……”

They had walked the same road, but now, they stood on opposite ends.

Clay closed his eyes to the fading shadow of what once was, and faced the present again.

“You little—!”

“I told you not to touch that~?”

Watching them quarrel across the office, Clay finally spoke up.

“Perhaps the two of you should just share a room.”

They both turned to him wide-eyed in shock.

Frozen like statues, Clay stifled a chuckle as he added,

“Messy as you are, you’re both going to be walking the same path soon enough.”

(End of Chapter)