The sky and the earth were both barren, corrupted by a dark miasma. At the very heart of the land, a gigantic jet-black castle with ominous spires spreading out in all directions sat. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.This was "Demon King’s Castle," a forbidden fortress where the leader of mankind’s sworn enemy resided.

    Right now, in the audience chamber of the Demon King''s Castle, the final battle between the master of the castle, the Demon King, and humanity''s strongest warriors, the Hero and his party, was taking place.

    The audience chamber, carved out of obsidian, was heavily damaged. The walls, floor, and pillars supporting the ceiling bore the marks of a fierce battle.

    “We did it! We’ve finally defeated the Demon King!” a well-built warrior shouted triumphantly. His armor, helmet, and great axe were already in tatters.

    “It took so long to get here that the actual battle feels like it happened in the blink of an eye,” a mage in a torn robe remarked.

    "That''s true. But once it started, it all happened so fast," added a man dressed as a monk, exhaling deeply. The staff he held was broken in half.

    “What’s the matter, Hero-sama? It''s all thanks to you that we’ve made it this far. You should be happy,” the warrior called out to the slimmest of the group, who had a frighteningly well-trained physique.

    The Hero was staring at the corpse of the fallen deformed giant—the Demon King.

    “Don’t tell me you think he’s going to transform again? Surely there won''t be a third time. When he transformed the second time, he said it would be the last,” the warrior said, tapping the Hero on the shoulder.

    “... I guess so. No, I was just thinking that this is the end of my life as a hero.”

    “What’s that all about? What happens when you return to your country as a hero after this?”

    “Right? I was told that I can’t go back to my world, so I think it would be more convenient for me to just disappear like this.”

    “What? Why would that be—" the warrior started, but the mage interrupted him.

    “You think you won’t be treated well now that you''re no longer needed. To be honest, the Prime Minister and his party were acting suspiciously, not to mention His Majesty the King. It was too obvious that they didn’t let the princesses or anyone else get close to you in the first place.”

    “Yes, that’s right. They seemed to value their own power more than defeating the Demon King. I’m not sure if I can go home like this,” the Hero confirmed.

    “Oi, are they really going to treat the hero who has worked so hard for his country and its people with such disrespect?” the warrior protested.

    “Well, it hasn’t been decided yet, and even if I think about it once I get back—" the Hero began, but was cut off by a sharp sound that came from the Demon King''s corpse.

    Bam!!

    “What?!”

    The four men instantly got into fighting stances, their movements showing no sign of slackening.

    The Demon King’s abdomen was ripped open, and a reddish-black sphere emerged and rose into the air. The sphere wriggled and squirmed several times before emitting a frightening amount of invisible magical power.

    “What the hell is this? It looks dangerous,” the warrior said.

    "Could this be... the true core of the Demon King?!" the mage exclaimed.

    “What is that?” the monk asked.

    “When a Demon King dies, his power spreads throughout the world and then gathers again over a long period, becoming the core that will give birth to the next Demon King. However, on very rare occasions, it can condense immediately after death,” the Hero explained.

    "So, does that mean the next Demon King is already being born?" the monk asked.

    "I''m afraid so," the Hero replied.

    “Damn it. But if it’s a newborn, it’s not going to take that long to defeat,” the warrior said optimistically, but the mage shook his head.

    "The Demon King is the strongest right after he’s born. Have you forgotten?" the mage reminded him.

    “Damn it, I totally forgot about that. Well then, let’s just chop him down now—" the warrior started.

    "If I slash it now, its magical powers will run amok and blow up the whole continent," the Hero warned.

    "Don''t be ridiculous. What a shame after coming all this way. That''s just our bad luck!" the warrior gritted his teeth.

    Both the mage and the monk began to look resigned. Only the Hero, who had been thinking deeply, took a step forward.

    “I’m going to use the 『Seal of Isolation』. To be on the safe side, everyone, please get as far from the castle as fast as you can,” the Hero instructed.

    “What are you talking about?”

    “What do you mean?”

    "I will encase this core and myself in the 『Isolation Seal』. Then I will slash the core. The seal is a spell that disperses the added power into another world. That should dissipate the Demon King''s power," the Hero explained calmly.

    The expressions on the three men''s faces changed dramatically.

    “But... then you’ll die too!” the warrior exclaimed.

    “I didn’t think you were the kind of person who liked that kind of self-sacrifice,” the mage added.

    “I can’t accept that plan,” the monk said firmly.

    “But it''s the only way. Only a Hero can use the『Isolation Seal』 and if I''m going to die anyway, I''d rather die alone. You all have people waiting for you. No need to think about it,” the Hero reasoned.

    “Don’t be silly, I won’t let you do that!” the warrior protested, reaching out to the Hero.

    However, just before his hand could reach him, the Hero activated his “Flash” skill and jumped onto the Demon King’s true core.

    "Leave the castle immediately. Don''t let my life be a waste. I''ve been in your care for a long time. Goodbye. 『Isolation Seal』," the Hero declared.

    A pale blue polyhedral barrier appeared, enveloping the Hero and the Demon King''s true core.

    The three looked on in a daze, but when they saw the Hero shake his hand firmly inside the polyhedron, they ran off in tears towards the exit.

    After watching the three leave, the Hero stood within the barrier and readied his sword.

    “The holy sword handed down in the royal family will disappear with this, but if it works, the Demon King will disappear as well. You’ll have to forgive me for saying I have no use for it. Now then, comrade-in-arms, one last job.”

    With that, the Hero swung his holy sword down towards the Demon King’s true core.