The Villain's Second Time

Chapter 11

The appearance of the Demon King is not fixed.

He could take the form of a child, an elderly person, or even a monstrous creature several meters tall and weighing hundreds of tons. Crossing the boundaries of gender and race is entirely possible for him.

It’s not simply a transformation. It truly becomes his form.

For someone like him, who has transcended the limits of physicality, appearance is merely a shell used to present himself to others. It’s something ordinary beings, bound by their physical forms throughout their lives, cannot even begin to imagine.

This time, it seems the shell he has chosen is that of an aristocratic, dazzlingly handsome man.

Step, step-.

The heavy and majestic sound of footsteps filled Tartarus. A tense silence descended between us.

As someone holding the title of Joker, I absolutely despise this kind of suffocating atmosphere. Life is short; you should live it with a laugh.

"Ahaha."

In the stifling atmosphere where even the sound of a single breath felt forbidden, I let out a light chuckle.

Kanos's pupils dilated wildly as he observed me, but what mattered to me was the Demon King’s reaction. He simply looked down at me solemnly with his blazing red eyes, glowing even in the darkness.

"Hahahahaha!"

So, I deliberately burst into louder laughter, but the Demon King didn’t particularly react. Kanos’s face turned as pale as a sheet of paper.

Suddenly curious about what kind of expression the Saint might have, I turned my head to look at her—.

"...Seems like I’m the only one laughing here?"

The Saint wore an uncharacteristically stiff expression. It didn’t seem like she was simply scared out of her wits.

"Hah, with everyone having such little sense of humor, how are we supposed to survive this harsh world?"

"As always, Joker."

For the first time, the Demon King, who had remained silent until now, opened his mouth. The atmosphere grew even colder, as if frozen solid.

A sneer lingered on my lips.

"What, were you expecting me to be any different?"

"Are you not afraid? You have less than 48 hours left to live."

"Still have 48 hours? Wow, what a ridiculously long leash I’ve got."

"...."

Chained to the iron floor, I had no choice but to look up at the Demon King. I stared into his red eyes behind his sunglasses as I spoke, my lips curving slightly.

"Still, I guess we must’ve been friends, huh? Coming all the way here for a visit before I die."

"Your lack of manners hasn’t changed."

"Are you really expecting a condemned prisoner to show manners?"

"Even as a condemned prisoner, are you not still a Demon? Chapter 3 of the Demon Realm’s legal code states that all Demons must show respect to the Demon King."

He’d always been lenient before, so why is this Demon King suddenly playing by the book?

Of course, there’s no way I’d comply so easily. Why would I have any goodwill toward the Demon King who betrayed me and discarded me like trash?

"Oh no! Demon King! Are you upset because I haven’t been addressing you with honorifics all this time?"

The Demon King’s expression darkened considerably. Kanos looked like he was on the verge of passing out.

The more they reacted, the more I pushed forward with my teasing. I was bored, so why not rattle the Demon King’s nerves a bit?

"I’ve always respected you, Demon King! So, could you kindly get out of my sight now? It’s not like we’re thrilled to see each other!"

"...."

"Can’t you see how our dear Kanos here is trembling like a leaf? By now, the warden Hades must be quaking in his boots just hearing that the Demon King has graced us with his presence! Please, show your great magnanimity and consider their well-being!"

Kanos’s face turned the color of an undead that had just been resurrected. If I pushed any further, someone might actually drop dead from a heart attack. Smirking, I threw out a sarcastic remark.

"Is this what you were hoping for?"

The Demon King pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. I thought I saw him shake his head slightly.

"Even when you should be begging for your life, you’re still playing games."

"If I beg, will you spare me?"

"...Even if I offered to spare you, you’re not the type of Demon who would kneel and beg."

"Heh, as expected of my friend. You know me better than anyone."

"It’s that arrogant playfulness of yours that got you locked up, Joker."

The tense expression that had been etched on the Demon King’s face finally softened. He stepped forward until he was right in front of the iron bars.

The adamantium bars didn’t stop the Demon King’s advance. He didn’t break or bend them.

Srrrrk-.

"Wow. You’ve even mastered selective intangibility now?"

Astonishingly, the Demon King’s body became incorporeal the moment it touched the adamantium, allowing him to pass through effortlessly. Adamantium, which not even ghosts, spirits, or elementals could penetrate, was no barrier to him. This was proof that the Demon King had not only transcended physicality but also the constraints of space.

Step, step-.

With measured, deliberate steps, the Demon King approached me. Then, he bent his towering frame down.

His face, previously two meters above me, descended to my eye level. His dark sunglasses fixed on me. The Demon King, crouched in front of me, spoke in a tone unlike anything I’d heard before.

"Joker. No, my long-time friend."

Having known him for so long, I recognized this voice. It was one he only used in private moments.

"What is it, Kanos?"

I responded by addressing him by name in kind. In truth, the fact that I even called him "Demon King" was my own form of courtesy. No one else would ever understand that.

"I am no longer merely a ruler of the Demon Realm."

"Oh? Then what are you now?"

"I am the sole Emperor of the entire continent, the sovereign of a new era. The master of seven nations and the ruler of countless races."

"Well, aren’t you quite the big shot."

"The Demon God? He’s no longer above me. If he’s the god of Demons, then I am the God of Gods. Any deity must bow before me, and any hero who isn’t under my command will lose their head."

"So, what’s your point? If you keep dragging this out, I might fall asleep from boredom."

The Demon King’s expression hardened again as he spoke in the same voice as before.

...Why even bother changing your tone if you’re just going to revert back? Was it all just to set the mood?

"What I’m saying is, I can no longer entertain your clownish antics."

"When did we ever work as a team? You did your thing, and I did mine. We just happened to be on the same boat called the Demon Army."

"I must now reign as the absolute sovereign. No one can dare speak my name, and all must fear me, revere me, and worship me with faith. That is who I am to become."

"Sure, the Demon Realm was already a dictatorship. But you’re planning to extend that to the entire continent? Well, I suppose it’s not impossible."

Ugh, the more I listen, the more irritated I get.

What I pursued was chaos. Perfect chaos, filled only with madness and disorder, where traditions and rules crumble to dust before it. That has been my lifelong ideal.

Yet, look at the results of the terror, wars, schemes, and strategies I orchestrated.

The Demon King is trying to create his own continent. A continent ruled by death for those who defy him, stricter and sharper than ever before.

It’s almost the complete opposite of my ideals.

"Ha."

"You are too arrogant. No matter how much credit you have as the second greatest contributor to the war's victory, you must not challenge the majesty of the Demon King."

"So, you’ve abandoned me."

"You’ve worked hard until now. Although I cannot restore your honor since you’ve been branded a rebel, I will at least dig you a grave in recognition of your contributions."

"Unbelievable. How could you do this to me?"

The Demon King I once knew was not this kind of demon.

He pursued pure evil, seeking only battles with the strongest—a romanticized form of malevolence.

That was why I joined hands with him. That was why I boarded the same ship with him.

"We are no longer children, Joker. The games of our youth are over."

"Tell me, who was it that once told me the world was just one big playground?"

"Our grown bodies no longer fit the playground. Look to a bigger world."

"Heh, you’re the one who can’t see the world, Demon King. You’ve lost your original self, consumed by petty desires for power and superiority. Your world hasn’t expanded—it’s shrunk."

"Say whatever you want. It won’t change reality."

Since when did the Demon King become a demon who spoke of reality this way?

I remember him gazing at the crimson storm clouds of the Demon Realm’s sky, eagerly awaiting the day he could battle the strongest warriors of the continent.

And yet, somehow, he has fallen into a kind of corruption, becoming a predictable and uninspired demon.

To me, it’s deeply saddening. It’s frustrating, and I feel betrayed. Even more so than when the Demon King sentenced me to death.

"You’ve changed."

"I am normal. You’re the strange one."

"Fine, go. Don’t show up even when I’m being executed. I don’t want to see your unlucky face anymore."

"...."

The Demon King unfolded his crossed legs and stood up. His tall, lean figure straightened.

As he turned to leave, I muttered quietly under my breath.

"You called me arrogant, didn’t you?"

"...."

"Demon King, you are pathetic. Surely, arrogance is better than being pathetic, isn’t it?"

Halt—.

The Demon King, who was about to leave beyond the iron bars, stopped in his tracks. Kelth, who had been about to let out a sigh of relief, tensed up once more.

"Pathetic? Me?"

"Yes, if I had a mirror, I’d show you."

"Ridiculous. How could someone like me, who has achieved a feat no one else could, be called pathetic?"

"That appearance of yours, Demon King, looks to me like nothing more than a desperate attempt to hide your disgrace. Dressing up in a black coat to appear dignified... Tch."

Creak—.

For the first time since arriving here, the Demon King showed signs of anger. The sound of his tightly clenched fists echoed ominously.

"I am a god. The god of gods. Soon, all the temples of this world will worship me, and my words will become absolute truth."

"A god? Perhaps. But you’re no longer evil. Chasing after money, fame, and power—how is that evil? Those are desires common to all living beings."

"Do not define great and noble evil at your convenience."

"No, it’s you who’s reducing evil to your level. You’re now just an ordinary power-hungry tyrant. The moment you started craving power, you imprisoned yourself."

At a loss for words, the Demon King closed his mouth. He shut his eyes briefly in contemplation before speaking again, as if to ask.

"And so what if I am?"

"What?"

"Whether I am evil or not, or something else entirely, the fact remains that I achieved the great accomplishment of unifying the continent. It is an undeniable truth, worthy of being proclaimed across the universe and celebrated for eternity. That is enough for me."

With those words, the Demon King ended the conversation. He cut off any remaining topics unilaterally and marched away with heavy steps.

Deciding conclusions on his own—how utterly self-centered of a demon. Has he become like this since he began pursuing power?

"...A great accomplishment, you say?"

At that moment, the Saint, who had remained silent until now, suddenly interjected into what seemed like a concluded conversation.

"You’ve united a fragmented continent and made all the strongest kneel before you. A feat unmatched in the annals of history—how could it not be great?"

The Demon King responded to her as if it were the most natural thing, using a tone he never directed at me.

A vein pulsed on the Saint’s forehead as she refuted his words, reacting as though she’d heard complete nonsense.

"May I share with you the story of a man I know?"

"The story of the wisest Saint on the continent? I’m intrigued. You have my permission."

"There once lived a man on the western outskirts of the now-vanished Empire."

What kind of story is she about to tell the Demon King? Unlike when she was a Hero, if he truly gets angry, she wouldn’t last even a second.

"This man was incredibly selfish. He was also arrogant and greedy."

"Indeed?"

"One day, for the most absurd reasons, he killed all his neighbors. He looted their livestock and possessions and committed unspeakable atrocities."

"...."

"What’s even more absurd is that he boasted about it. He proudly went around proclaiming his murders, plundering, and vile acts as though they were great achievements."

"...."

Like a horse with a bit in its mouth, the Demon King found himself utterly speechless.

The Saint delivered her conclusion like a nail driving into wood.

Her conclusion was the polar opposite of the Demon King’s. It was a matter of perspective, of interpretation, of viewpoint.

"Would the Demon King consider this man to be great?"

"Hmm...."

"You’ve won wars, but you haven’t truly united or harmonized with anyone. You attacked others by exploiting their vulnerabilities, and you haven’t cultivated the continent into a prosperous land. Who on this continent would genuinely revere you?"

"That is...."

"What exactly are you so proud of? Are you proud of feeling superior by putting everyone beneath your feet? Is tormenting those weaker than yourself a great achievement? Do you take pride in driving innocent weaklings into suffering and hearing their voices of resentment? If so, if that is truly what you think, then why don't you say it out loud with confidence?"

"...."

Like a mute who had swallowed honey, the Demon King was unable to offer any rebuttal.

At this point, it’s confusing. Is that logical Saint really the fool and idiot she’s been made out to be?

As if all his shameful secrets had been laid bare, the Demon King lowered his head powerlessly.

He had been told he wasn’t evil by me, and now the Saint was telling him he wasn’t great either. It’s no wonder he’s like this. His fundamental beliefs were denied right in front of his eyes, leaving him with no room to argue.

"You are right, Saint. Every word you’ve said is completely true."

Finally, the Demon King raised his head. A hollow smile lingered on the corners of his mouth.

An indescribable emptiness seeped into his voice.

"There is no place on my continent for someone who speaks the truth, so my reason to kill you has only grown stronger."

"Heh, in the end, no matter what you said, the ending was already decided."

"Two days remain. The two of you should make the most of it. There really isn’t much time left now."

Leaving behind those self-serving words to the very end, the Demon King walked out of Tartarus with brisk steps.

Kelth’s legs gave way, and he collapsed onto the stone floor with a thud.