What if you are reborn as a demon after a funeral?

"...No, I'm actually quite big."

"You're big for humans, right? But to your big sister, you're still a little brother~" Solitaire stood on tiptoe and smiled as she patted his head.

This strange behavior gave him a headache: "...What are you doing?"

"Ah? Isn't this a gesture of care?"

"Care?"

"I've always liked you, Shurahatto. I went with you to break the seal on Guval and persuade Guval to listen to you... It's all because of me, I really like you, okay?"

Solitaire gently placed her hands behind her back, tilted her head slightly, and looked into his eyes with a smile as she spoke, revealing the real reason why she had helped him subdue the corrupt sage Guval when the Demon King was being defeated by the hero's party.

However, the thought of being liked by such a dangerous person made him silently take a step back: "...Let me confirm first, what kind of liking is this? It's not the kind of liking that wants to kill me, is it?"

"How could that be? Besides, I'm a pacifist. And most importantly, your eyes... they have a mix of human and demonic qualities. I really want to study you closely."

"...Let me go of the mutual slaughter and dissection stuff."

"So what are you talking about? I'm not that kind of violent maniac. My affection is closer to the goodwill humans feel towards each other. And... I see my goals reflected in yours, which means—we are truly kindred spirits!"

Solitaire, who longed for the coexistence of humans and demons, clasped her hands together in front of her chest as if offering a prayer, and gazed into his eyes with heartfelt sincerity.

But this only made him feel troubled. Without showing any emotion, he took two steps back again, waving his hand with an awkward but polite smile:

"I'm sorry, I don't quite understand what you're trying to say. Anyway, let's calm down first, okay? We can sit down and talk it over calmly another time. I have some things to take care of right now, so I'll have to go..."

"—Hey, this is great! Although I initially thought it wasn't appropriate to just show up at someone's house, since you've invited me, I certainly can't refuse!"

"Wait a minute? You invited me? Me? When did this happen?"

"Just now, didn't you want me to come to your country with you, sit down together, and witness a new path that has never been seen before?"

"...I was just being polite. How did you come up with so much from my imagination?"

Ash's mind went blank; he never expected that such polite words could be used in this way.

But Solitaire simply clasped her hands together in front of her, swaying gracefully, revealing a sweet and charming smile:

"What are you saying~ A gentle person like you, big brother, would surely not have the heart to see a pitiful and helpless little demon like me wandering alone in the wilderness, right~?"

"Brother... no, a little demon over a thousand years old?"

This ancient demon, who looked like a little ghost, had a sweet voice that left him momentarily unsure whether to criticize her for pretending to be young or to criticize her for calling herself "older sister" just a moment ago. He thought, "Are women's words really deceitful?"

But thinking about his goal, he didn't mind having another powerful helper, even though the other party was a very strange guy... but it seems there aren't many non-strange people among the Great Demon Clan.

...........................

After the initial troubles, Ash ultimately chose to compromise.

He hadn't wanted to get close to the barrier before, but now, since he was already there, he came to the edge of the barrier with Solitaire, wanting to study it for a while.

However.....

"Ah~ This barrier is... the culmination of the wisdom of the world's most outstanding human mages, a complex convergence of magical theories from different countries and ethnic groups, truly amazing~"

With just a light touch of her hand, Solitaire immediately had her answer, but her face still wore that endearing smile: "Thinking about it this way, without this kind of knowledge, it would be impossible to open it, which is why he has been locked up here all this time."

"No, Solitaire, your statement is too absolute."

"what?"

"Your magical theories are flawed, or rather, the knowledge you've acquired is too commonplace... This is probably a problem caused by hiding it for too long, which has made your thinking rigid."

"Too mainstream...too rigid?" Solitaire tilted her head dramatically with a smile.

Ash, quite casually, patted the little ghost girl on the head, flicked the barrier in front of him with his finger, and said:

"Understanding before breaking down is the common idea, and it is indeed necessary before a certain level is reached. However, if a certain limit is exceeded, it becomes meaningless to try to understand the magic itself."

"Use overwhelming force to break through the barrier directly? But a barrier of this strength shouldn't be able to be broken through by force, right?"

“More than forty years ago, Mahat’s magic easily broke through my defenses, and he certainly didn’t understand human protective measures. The Corrupted Sage was the same in the past, easily destroying those protective spells. Do you think they needed to understand them?”

"this....."

"Furthermore, according to the intelligence I obtained from the Magic Association, this barrier has been under constant erosion and has been forced to expand outwards. What used to be just a city is now being swallowed up, even the surrounding forests. It is clear that this barrier cannot restrain the ever-spreading gold, and this is not even something that Mahat did intentionally."

Ash casually rubbed Solitaire's head, then kicked the barrier beside him before continuing, "Ultimately, while magic is said to be a world of imagination, it still has to be built on certain foundations. I think I'm omnipotent... Do you think magic can do that?"

"They can't even construct basic spells. It's just wild and unfounded. If this could be successful, there would be no need for magic research and practice. They could just keep hypnotizing themselves. A mentally ill magician would really believe that his imagination is real and become invincible."

Solitaire smiled and spread her hands, and Ash followed suit, kicking the barrier in front of him once more.

"The same logic applies. If I had Aura bring over a magician, use illusion magic to disrupt his mind and hypnotize him, making him 100% convinced that his magic could break through this barrier, would it really break through?"

"That definitely won't work."

"The reverse is also true. Just because they think they can definitely lock up Mahathir, does that mean they really can?"

“…You make a lot of sense.” Solitaire was silent for a moment before asking in confusion, “But if that’s the case, why doesn’t Mahat come out?”

"Based on my previous interactions with him, he seems quite happy living inside. After all, he's a moderate figure in the Demon King's army, and being able to live in peace and quiet without being disturbed is probably good for him. Didn't you notice that he didn't keep attacking the barrier, not even to deplete its energy?"

"So... he never even considered coming out?"

After hearing his words, Solitaire's face lit up with a smile, and she unconsciously stared at him and nodded repeatedly:

"Following you was definitely the right decision. Your magical knowledge and theories are completely different from an old fogey like me. No wonder the all-knowing Shurahart values ​​you so much. Now I finally understand."

"....Then?"

"You want to be the Demon King, don't you?" Solitaire stared at him, then gave him a smile that was so cute it sent chills down your spine.

"I will support you. I will find a way to eliminate all obstacles between demons and humans. In exchange, become my partner! Give me everything, and I will give you everything I have."

"...It suddenly feels so heavy." Ash shook his head dumbfounded, then smiled with a sudden inspiration: "How about this? Let's compromise. I agree to the beginning and the last part, but we can skip the middle part."

"Oh? What a novel compromise! But I think I'm pretty good-looking, aren't I?"

"I like big ones."

Body type? Chest size?

"It's mainly the latter, but I quite like mature women."

"This is a bit of a problem, but it's okay, familiarity breeds affection, I know that saying too~?"

"...Anyway, let's go back first."

......

As a respectable adult, Ash knew all too well that there was no such thing as a free lunch.

Therefore, he refused the ghostly loli who had fallen from the sky without hesitation, and flew towards the carriage without looking back.

"What an interesting person. Anyway... let's observe him a little longer." Solitaire narrowed her eyes and pondered for a moment before following after him with a smile again.

...........................

...........................

Originally, there was only a three-person carriage, but after Ash went out for a while, a large demon resembling a ghost loli appeared in it.

To be honest, he always felt that the female figures in the carriage made it easy for people to misunderstand his sexual orientation.

Why are they all so small, like little girls? I remember that besides the demons who look like monsters, there are also many mature women among the demon race. How come all the ones I see are little girls? It's unbelievable. Ash crossed his arms and closed his eyes in deep thought.

Aura, who was sitting opposite him, remained silent for a long time, but finally couldn't help kicking him in the shin:

"What's wrong with this guy? Why are you pretending to be asleep if you're not going to explain yourself?!"

“Don’t blame him too much. He came here on his own initiative.” A smile appeared on Solitaire’s lips. “Besides, it’s been quite a while, hasn’t it? Aura, it seems like the last time we met was three hundred years ago, right? You’ve become even more adorable.”

"Forget about human politeness, I haven't changed at all in the past three hundred years."

"Hmm~ You seem quite hostile, Ash. My sister-in-law is a bit difficult to handle, what should I do?" Solitaire stared at him with a smile.

This statement drew Aura's gaze, which then fell upon him: "—Sister-in-law....?"

"Please don't look at me at this time, okay?" He sighed, putting one hand to his forehead to avoid their gaze as much as possible. "I'm not familiar with Solitaire. She just said it on her own. Don't mind it."

"Oh dear, I got rejected again. I'm so sad."

"So that's how it is. There are even women who keep bothering you? You've grown up, haven't you? You actually have women coming to bother you now."

Solitaire and Aura, unsurprisingly, gave completely different reactions.

Solitaire, who was sitting right next to him, even tugged at his sleeve and looked at him with a sad expression: "Is this... what heartbreak is?"

"...Don't pretend to be sad, just think it's like you've broken up."

Faced with these strange demons, Ash was truly exhausted, even feeling a bit like he was seeing Philon from his childhood.

The Burial of Frilian: A Thousand Years Later: Chapter Eighty-Seven - Solitiel's "Love" and the Unrepentant Linne

Image: "Solitier", Location: "Images/1723487697-100409035-112004240.jpg"

Image: "Height Comparison", Location: "Images/1723487718-100409035-112004240.jpg"

Although Solitaire's expression was spot-on, and she looked genuinely sad, even without a long history of dealing with demons, Ash wouldn't be so naive as to believe that the other person had suddenly fallen in love with him.

Solitaire showed no embarrassment at being exposed; instead, she pressed her fingertips to her lips, displaying a troubled expression.