The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"I'm glad you're alright... You should head back quickly then. There are still many thieves active in the area; it's quite dangerous."

"That won't do."

But Naka showed no intention of leaving. On the contrary, she moved even more blatantly toward Lucia.

"Because I have some questions I'd like to ask you, Miss Knight."

"Wh...what?"

Her appearance was truly bizarre. A saintess was supposed to be incapable of combat, yet Naka now instilled an instinctive fear in Ruth, who could easily wipe out a band of thieves. She even raised her gun again and pointed it at Naka.

"Wait! Stop right there! If you have questions, you can ask them right there! Don't come any closer!"

"What are you afraid of, Miss Knight? I'm just a saintess with no strength to even kill a chicken."

The saintess, who had just unhesitatingly taken a life, shamelessly uttered lies that even Lucis wouldn't believe, ignoring Lucis's warnings, and swaggered into Lucis's guarded area.

"I told you to stop!"

Lucius had already warned Naka, but Naka ignored it. According to regulations, adventurers directly under the royal court have the right to kill anyone who approaches them for unknown reasons after repeated warnings have gone unheeded. Lucius once again brandished her spear and slashed at Naka.

"Swish"

However, to Lucia's surprise, her lightning-fast attack, which even many thieves couldn't see, missed the saintess. Only her afterimage flashed by. Naka arrived before her at a speed that Lucia couldn't even perceive.

"Varied..."

"puff"

The sturdy armor shattered like thin ice. Naka's hand easily breached Lushus's armor, piercing through her body and exiting from her back. Lushus stared in disbelief at the girl with incredible speed and power. The pain of being pierced made it difficult for her to speak. But with her mouth gushing blood, she managed to muster her last strength to ask...

"Who...who are you...?"

.....

Naka did this because, while observing Lucy's battle, an idea suddenly popped into her head.

"Come to think of it, I didn't need to ask those thieves at all, did I? This guy is one of the people inside the palace... I can just start with her."

The palace staff were right there in front of her. Why bother searching for Oz when she could find someone so close? With that thought, Naka made her decision. She would travel with the female knight, using her as cover to infiltrate the palace and gather intelligence.

However, Naka couldn't help but think of the humans who had accompanied her on her last mission. Being with them hadn't helped her achieve her goals; instead, they had melted her previously cold heart, making her indecisive and burdened with worries. Naka realized she wasn't as heartless as she thought. She still couldn't help but care about friendship and others.

Why was this the case? After analyzing the situation, Naka concluded that there was only one reason: she had concealed her identity from Jasmine and Tatya. They believed she was human, their good friend, and their savior. That's why they were willing to open their hearts to her. Therefore, Naka was touched by their sincerity, becoming more "human" and more "humanized." Human emotions were far more infectious than Naka had imagined. And Naka couldn't resist this influence with unwavering resolve.

This time, Naka was determined not to repeat the same mistake. She had learned her lesson. If concealing her identity might lead others to mistakenly believe she was a good person, then this time she would simply not conceal it.

To ensure the other person knows your identity from the start, and to instill hatred and fear in you, thus preventing them from developing any further feelings towards you... This is the answer Naka deduced.

"Don't worry, Miss Knight. Although I... no, I pierced your body, you won't die."

Naka chuckled maliciously and whispered in Lushius's ear, whose face was contorted with fear, pain, and despair.

"I will merely infuse my magic into your body, turning you into my slave."

"You...you are..."

Even though the excruciating pain was enough to knock someone unconscious, Lucia found herself remarkably clear-headed. She couldn't help but want to pass out, to die, to escape the agony. At the same time, a strange power was flowing through her body from the holes in her flesh. She gradually felt her body becoming increasingly uncontrollable.

Who exactly is Naka, who is doing something so incomprehensible to Luxius? Luxius now has an answer in her heart. But she can't believe, and doesn't want to believe, that the girl before her could be that being who has only existed in legends until now, who has never publicly appeared in any setting, the strongest and most terrifying being in this world...

But she was right. Naka ruthlessly announced the "good news" of "correct answer," which brought Louise absolutely no joy.

"Yes, I am the Demon King: Nama Kallenra."

The author's words:

Although I recently started a new project, my main focus will still be on this work. With schools reopening, there are fewer readers lately. However, I still hope everyone can take a moment to read this book during their studies. If it can provide some relaxation and enjoyment during your free time, I will be very honored.

The Corrupted Female Knight

"Ugh... Guh..."

Her left abdomen was mercilessly pierced, and the weapon that had pierced it—Naka's hand—was still stuck inside. The excruciating pain allowed Lucy to only manage a soft groan, unable to move an inch.

Because Naka had placed her other hand under Lucy's armpit to support her body, Lucy couldn't fall even if she wanted to. Forced to remain standing, she endured what seemed like endless pain. Large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. Her face, once radiating righteous indignation, was now deathly pale and weak. Her eyes rolled back, and she was almost lost in a dreamlike hallucination.

Naka, however, merely smiled maliciously and continued to channel her magic into Lucia's body. Compared to external infusion, directly injecting magic into her body like this was far more efficient.

Gradually, Lucia's blonde hair began to fade, turning into the same silvery-white as Naka's. Her pupils also changed from blue to red. As this strange change occurred in her body, she coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Her entire body convulsed uncontrollably.

"Gah! Ah, ahhhhhh!!!"

A feeling akin to being "reborn" spread throughout her body. Although she didn't see the changes in her appearance, her instincts clearly sensed that she was becoming a different kind of being, unlike any other human. Her survival instinct as a "human" made her desperately twist and struggle. But this effort was futile against Naka's power.

"Ouch, don't move around, or it'll hurt even more. Don't worry, it'll be over soon. Now, why not say goodbye to your human self and welcome your new self?"

Naka's merciless words rang in Lucia's ears, extinguishing her last glimmer of hope...

Lucia had no idea how much time had passed. The agonizing period felt like an eternity. She felt the pain was driving her mad. But just before she collapsed, Naka finally withdrew her hand. Lucia's already swaying body immediately collapsed. Naka simply shook the blood off her hand and casually remarked as if it were none of her business.

"Okay, all done."

"Ah... Ah..."

"Stop yelling, your body should be pain-free by now."

Ruth was still clutching her pierced left abdomen when she suddenly felt an unexpected sensation of flesh. The next instant, she realized that, just as Naka had said, the maddening pain seemed to have vanished without a trace before Ruth even realized it. Ruth looked down in astonishment; what should have been a bleeding, transparent hole had been replaced by new flesh.

But that part of her flesh was no longer snow-white as the sunset. A circular pattern, about the thickness of Naka's wrist, had appeared there. The pattern flickered with an ominous purple light, in sync with Ruth's breathing. As she looked down, she noticed that her golden hair was no longer in her peripheral vision; instead, it was a silver she had never seen before. She brushed her hair aside and only then did she notice the change. She looked in horror at the culprit. The proud female knight, who would never show weakness to a demon, trembled and asked...

"What...what exactly did you do..."

"What did I do? Didn't I just say that? Are you so forgetful at such a young age?"

She asked this question not because she hadn't heard Naka's words, but because she simply couldn't accept the reality. Lucy didn't actually want to hear the answer, but Naka at this moment was no longer the kind person who understood others' feelings.

"I used my enslavement magic on you, modifying your body. Although you still look human and retain your original memories, you are no longer human. You are now a monster under my command, my slave... How does it feel to be a monster? You're much stronger than before thanks to my enhancements! Hahahaha!"

Upon hearing this cruel truth, the female knight revealed the expression she most wanted to see. Naka burst into laughter. She hadn't seen a human look at her with such despair, sorrow, and fear in a long time.

She was no longer human, but an enemy of humanity, someone who must be eliminated immediately upon discovery. Ruth couldn't help but cover her mouth. The unbearable truth, the fear, and the loathing for monsters nearly made her vomit.

"You... Demon King, how dare you..."

But beyond fighting the nausea, Lucius had something even more important to do. Even though her body was no longer human, her memories still sustained her as a human. The girl laughing maniacally before her was actually the true form of that terrifying demon lord: Nama Kalena? It was unbelievable. But now that it was confirmed, and that the other party had done such cruel things to her and taken pleasure in human sorrow, the former knight Lucius had only one choice.

Her hands trembled with rage as she picked up the spear from the ground, gripping it tightly as her ever-present "comrade-in-arms." She could feel her strength had indeed increased. She was now probably around level 20.

It goes without saying what to do with this powerful force.

"Demon King! Prepare to die!"

Lucia raised her spear and thrust it fiercely at the throat of the culprit who had turned her into a monster, humanity's greatest enemy. Having not used her full strength against the thief, she now exerted all her power. She unleashed a lightning-fast strike, leaving no afterimage in sight, the spear arriving before the sound even reached it.

However...

Stop

Naka simply uttered two words. Before her voice even reached Lucy's ears, Lucy's body froze on the spot as if time itself had stopped, unable to move even a finger.

"W-what happened?"

Ruth, eager to kill her enemy, had no reason to stop. But her body suddenly wouldn't obey her commands; even if she wanted to continue, her legs seemed to refuse the orders from her brain, remaining completely still. The formidable enemy she had to kill was right before her, yet Ruth was now as still as a wooden stake.

Naka gently pushed aside Lushus's spear, stepped forward, and brought her face less than ten centimeters in front of Lushus. She slightly lifted Lushus's chin with her right hand and spoke provocatively to the overconfident girl.

"So you're a forgetful guy, huh? I already told you you're my slave, do you really think I wouldn't have a backup plan?... Kneel down."

It seemed that control of Lucius's body wasn't in Lucius's hands, but rather in Naka's. At Naka's command, Lucius's body completely ignored her mind's resistance, immediately dropping her weapon and crouching down with her legs wide open. Her posture was almost like a dog fawning over its master. Naka nodded in satisfaction, lightly scratching the chin of the female knight who was practically trying to curry favor with the Demon King, her face etched with anger and shame.

"Hmm, good boy... Now, kneel down and put your hands on the ground."

At this command, the proud female knight, without resistance, knelt on both knees, hands on the ground, her body arched in a humiliating posture, prostrating herself before Naka. Naka walked to her side, lightly jumped, and sat down on Lucia's back. She casually crossed her legs and lightly patted the back of the female knight's head.

"How does it feel? Does it feel like your body no longer belongs to you? That's right. From now on, I have absolute control over your body. Even if you want to refuse, your body cannot disobey my orders. Whatever I ask you to do, you have no choice but to obediently carry it out... Lucia, you can't hurt me, and you don't have the right to refuse my orders."

"Kill...kill..."

"Huh? What did you say?"

The person beneath her seemed to be saying some dangerous-sounding words. Naka leaned closer and heard what Ruth was saying.

"Kill...kill me...kill me!"

She fawned over the Demon King like a dog, only to be forced to sit on him like a human chair. Even though her mind resisted, the fact that she had committed these acts—disgraceful to the royal adventurer's guild and undoubtedly a deep humiliation for a female knight—made Lushus's tears of shame and regret flow freely. She had no face to return to the palace, no right to face her mentor and companions. She choked back tears, begging Naka to grant her a quick death, to end her suffering.

"Ha, hahahahahahahaha!"

But Naka's response was only an even more unrestrained and maniacal laugh.

"You want to die? You want to die, don't you? This 'former female knight,' you think too highly of yourself, don't you?"

"pain!"

Naka grabbed her hair forcefully, forcibly pulling Lushus's head up and bringing it close to her face. She coldly reiterated to her, who no longer possessed any human rights, that...

"Your body belongs to me now. Whether you should die, when you should die, and how you should die are all up to me. You're still useful to me. Until your usefulness is used up, I won't let you die, and you won't be able to die. Understand? If you don't believe me, try committing suicide. You'll find you're completely incapable of doing so. And even if you suffer a fatal wound now, you absolutely won't die. Because right now, you don't even have the freedom to choose death! Haha ...

"How...how could this be..."

"Furthermore, I've placed a command on your body that prevents you from revealing my identity to anyone. Whether you intend to speak or write... you cannot tell anyone my identity through any means of communication. The moment you have such a thought, your body will immediately cease all activity, just as it did when you attacked me. I'm only sparing you the right to speak for now; if you dare to try and reveal my secrets, you won't even have the ability to open your mouth or move your tongue."

Her freedom of body, her freedom of life and death, had been completely stripped away. Even the freedom to reveal the terrifying identity of this seemingly harmless girl to those around her was no longer hers. What reason did this body have to exist? Not only as a female knight, but even as a human being, with her dignity and freedom gone, what face did she have to continue living in this world? Endless shame and despair enveloped Lucy. Unable even to bite her tongue to commit suicide, she could only weep and curse herself, curse the demon king who had taken everything from her, and curse her unjust fate.

"What...what do you want...why me? Why me of all people...?"

"Why did I choose you? Hmm... to be honest, you were just unlucky. Since I've decided to pick you, I'll tell you anyway. But... yawn..."

Naka raised her arms and yawned widely. Then she grabbed Lucia's head again.

"I'm tired. From today onwards, your house will be my hideout. After all, hotels are expensive. I want to try to save on my operating budget as much as possible."

"What! You, you're not just taking me away, you're taking my home too?"

"What kind of talk is that? Your body is already mine, so naturally your things belong to me too."

"No, please! I beg you, at least spare my home... spare my family!"

"Do you still have a family? Well, killing your family in front of you, or ordering you to kill your family yourself, or turning your family into my slaves, all seem like quite an entertaining pastime."

"you...!"

"In short..."

Naka forcefully lifted Lucius's head with a strength that almost ripped her hair from her scalp. She relished the look on Lucius's face, twisted and contorted with despair, anger, humiliation, and sorrow. The merciless demon king spoke with a grin.

"...Please take good care of me until you die, Miss Knight."

Naka emphasized the words "female knight" with particular force, releasing her grip on the girl's hair. The cruel reality, and the even crueler fact that she couldn't change it, caused the female knight to lower her head helplessly. All that awaited her was a life of endless, ruthless enslavement at the Demon King's beck and call. Her eyes were empty and lifeless; the spiritedness and righteous indignation of not long ago were gone from her face. Only the despair and hopelessness of someone who had lost everything remained.

Naka clenched her fists tightly where no one could see. This was the relationship between humans and the Demon King she desired. Her past interactions with Jasmine and Tatya had been confused and wrong. That had led to her previous failures and left her with unresolved issues. Only in this way could she maintain the mindset and stance befitting a Demon King. Only in this way could she more effectively achieve her goals.

Whether it was the joy of the plan's success, a desire to erase the last remaining memories, or a concealment of deeper emotions, Naka tilted her head back once more and let out a laugh that she herself wasn't sure was genuine.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

Her laughter echoed through the valley, lingering for a long time.

The author's words:

The title might conjure up some inappropriate content for children... but unfortunately, this chapter doesn't contain anything that could be censored. Sorry to disappoint readers expecting that kind of thing.

As I mentioned at the end of the previous chapters, Volume 3 will focus more on Naka's role as the Demon Lord than Volumes 1 and 2. Therefore, she commits some cruel acts in this chapter. But is her conclusion that "revealing one's identity from the beginning can prevent being influenced by human emotions" truly correct? Please look forward to the unfolding of this discussion.

Additionally, the next chapter will return to Tatia's storyline. A few chapters will temporarily unfold the story of Tatia and Meera. Since Volume 3 unfolds along two parallel storylines, I will provide a preview like this each time the perspective changes. This is to help readers adjust their reading pace in advance and avoid overly abrupt plot transitions.

The new squad's first mission

"Um, let me introduce you... This is Mayera, my friend. From today onwards, she will be working with us..."

"Huh...?"

Pais was completely unaware of Tatia and Meera's past and the consensus they had reached. Therefore, when Tatia, who had left her to pay the bill and then disappeared with a strange girl, returned with the girl and introduced her in this way, Pais could only express her confusion. What puzzled her even more was Tatia's unauthorized decision to add her to her group.

"No... she was allowed to team up with us just because she's your friend? Is she that good?"

"Hmm, that's impressive..."

Pais wondered why Tatia deliberately avoided her gaze when answering the question, her voice betraying a hint of reluctance. No matter how Pais looked at it, how much could Mayra, this petite girl adorned with utterly useless combat accessories and with skin so pale it seemed barely exposed to UV rays, possibly weigh? Even as Tatia introduced her, Mayra was using a parasol and playing with her jewelry. Her pampered manner suggested she was someone who rarely left the house. It wasn't that Pais didn't trust Tatia, but she genuinely worried that if they encountered monsters, this young lady wouldn't even have the strength to run, dying with a mere touch. The cleanup would be incredibly troublesome. What inexplicably annoyed Pais even more was the girl's striking resemblance to Naka. If Naka's hair were longer, if she were younger, and if she appeared more refined and womanly, she would probably look like Mayra now.

However, directly turning her away would be somewhat disrespectful to Tatia. While Pais hesitated about how to refuse, Tatia took it upon herself to continue the conversation based on the premise that "Pais wouldn't refuse." She began to tell Mayera about Pais.

"Meira, her name is Pais, she's a saint. She's fifteen years old, a year older than me, so you should at least show some manners."

"Oh dear, in that case, I should call you Sister Pais."

Then, Mayera lightly lifted the hem of her dress with her index finger and thumb, giving Pais a slight bow as she had done when revealing her identity to Tatsia.