Chapter 1.1

Chapter 1.1

600,000 allied troops from the human realm set out.

Within ten days of entering the heart of the demon realm, half of the soldiers perished, and before even reaching the gates of the demon stronghold, the remaining half abandoned their weapons and fled.

With each step, flesh and entrails squelched beneath their feet. The sky was veiled in blood, and the screams of terror pierced the darkness like a torrential rain.

“I will die here today.”

The soldiers who had ridden with him clutched their reins and retreated in disarray. But Valen, clad in bloodstained armor, rode forward alone.

Hell was here as it was back there, anyway. If he returned without the spoils of victory, he and his brother would be beheaded in the square.

Rather than return with the dishonor of having been frightened away by a demon, he chooses to be a defeated hero. Valen Rudwick would fight to the end, sacrificing himself for the peace of humanity.

He hoped his brother would remember him with pride.

Alive… He must survive.

The wind blew. Amidst the stench of death, the discordant scent of flowers teased his nostrils.

As Valen turned his head, entranced, white petals danced in the air. At the edge of his vision stood a camellia tree and a woman standing tall amidst the battlefield.

The woman, poised to pluck a flower, was no soldier. Barefoot and without a sword, her flowing dress seemed unable to shield her from a single raindrop.

Suddenly, the woman turned her head towards Valen. As their eyes met, the screams that had echoed all around fell silent. It felt as if a veil had been lifted from his weary eyes.

Valen involuntarily took a deep breath. The fragrance of camellias filled his lungs, and the strength in his hand holding the sword weakened.

At that moment—

“….!”

A massive demon with twelve spider legs lunged towards the woman, its claws poised to strike.

“Run!”

Before his mind could make a judgment, his body moved. A mere second on the battlefield spelled the difference between victory and defeat. Momentary hesitation and a weak mind were poison. Therefore, pushing the woman aside and wielding his sword was the best defense and offense in this situation.

But Valen pulled the woman into his arms instead. With the woman in his arms, he quickly turned and gave his back to the beast.

Had his mind finally snapped due to the long war?

Valen couldn’t find the reason for his foolish actions. He felt death that had been lurking, hanging on his back, began to creep up and envelop his entire body.

He closed his eyes tightly, awaiting the impending pain. Instead, he felt a sudden rustle – his helmet was removed. The wind carrying the fragrance of camellias swept past once more, brushing across his sweat-stained hair.

Instinctively, Valen sensed that something was amiss. He slowly opened his eyes, only to be met with glowing red eyes.

“Red eyes…”

Demons. A demon! He mistook her for a human because he couldn’t see her horns.

Instinct, sharp as a knife, brushed the back of his neck. Valen quickly released his arms from around the woman and stepped back.

No, he tried to step back. If it wasn’t for the hand stroking his cheek.

Thunk. The sword, which had never left his hand since their departure, fell. He needed to strike down the demon before him immediately… Damn it, aside from his eyeballs, he couldn’t move a finger.

“I’ll take this one.”

A gentle whisper brushed his ear. The woman, who had spoken the terse declaration, stepped back from Valen and turned her back.

“Ugh…”

Suddenly, he was struck with a dull blow at the back of his head. His body crumpled to the ground without resistance. Thud. One of the spider-legged claws slammed beside Valen’s face as his vision darkened.

* * *

“…. And finally, for the final marriage vows.”

Intense light poured over his eyelids. The sound of dozens, no, hundreds of clapping palms shook Valen awake.

“You two must walk together beyond the limits of your races. You don’t need to be together in joy or sorrow, but you must produce offspring to ensure the holidays of the demon realm.”

They didn’t kill him. But they took him as a prisoner.