A Weak Demon Lord Started Livestreaming in a Bottom-Tier Dungeon and Went Viral?! After Completely Crushing Rude S-Rank Explorers and Annoying Streamers, the Internet Erupted in Praise. Um, I'm Supposed to Be the Enemy of Humanity, You Know? - 12

Chapter 12: The Weak Demon Lord Goes to Apologize

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As soon as I revealed the Hero’s gender, an awkward silence fell over the room for some reason.

“Huh? A girl? Akira-san, the one who’s been stealing the hearts of girls all over Japan?”

“Yes, judging by the skeletal structure, that seems to be the case…”

At that moment, I realized something.

“Ah!? D-Did I…Did I say something I shouldn’t have!?”

“I think so…”

『Yeah, pretty much.』

Erika-san and the viewers both gave me quiet nods. I really messed up! I hurried to cover for it and shouted at the streaming camera.

“E-Everyone!! That was just the delusional rambling of a Demon Lord!! A lie to disgrace the Hero!! Please don’t believe it!!”

“That’s not something the Demon Lord should be saying!”

『You can tell the skeleton’s panicking.』

Ugh, what now… Okay!!

“Well, what’s said is said! No point dwelling on it!! Moving on!!”

“That was a fast recovery.”

『As expected of the Demon Lord.』

『I wish I had the nerves of steel like him.』

At that moment, the Hero Party encountered a group of wandering skeletons and entered combat. Watching the Hero’s movements through the monitor, I let out an admiring breath. Their coordination was flawless.

The spear-wielding tank with the large shield and the Hero bought time, while the mage and cleric cast magic to distract and attack based on the situation. Every movement was done with precision and consideration for the next movement.

Most of all, I was startled when I saw the weapon the Hero was holding.

“Hm, that weapon of hers…”

“Oh, the Holy Sword: Grand EX? It’s one of only six Holy Swords ever found in the world!! It’s so full of romance and legend!!”

“My, what a lovely name. Ah, how nostalgic. That sword was actually made by a friend of mine—to kill me.”

“Ooh! I see! ….Wait, what?!”

Erika-san turned to me in shock. The viewers seemed just as surprised.

『Your friend made that?』

“Yes. My friend was seriously thinking about how to kill me. One of the answers that my friend came up with was ‘a direct attack on the soul’—or rather, a ‘direct soul attack.’”

“…Why did you rephrase that like it was an anime move? Anyway, does that mean even you could be defeated by that sword, Olden-san?”

“Hahaha!! Oh, come now!! Of course I’ve taken countermeasures against that!! Erika-san, you say the funniest things!!”

“Uh… I wasn’t trying to be funny.”

That sword could indeed kill me. But, that was like saying a kitchen knife could kill a person. If that sword couldn’t hit me, then it would amount to nothing and there were plenty of ways to dodge it too.

“By the way, the sword’s name is 『Sword That’ll Absolutely Kill Olden No. 18』.”

“Wait, ‘Sword’ what?”

“『Sword That’ll Absolutely Kill Olden No. 18』

『That name is hilariously lame lol』

Really? I personally think the name is quite straightforward and easy to understand.

“But to think it ended up on the surface after going missing in the Demon Realm. And now it’s in the Hero’s hands… Oh—so is that why she’s called the Hero?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Well, my friend half-jokingly stabbed that sword into a pedestal. You know the trope—‘Whoever pulls this sword shall be the true Hero’ kind of thing. My friend was fond of that kind of dramatic flair.”

“Ah, r-right, Akira-san became famous for pulling out the Holy Sword that no other explorer could. Wait… That was all a setup!?”

“Indeed. Anyone with enough brute strength could’ve pulled it out. The fact that it took tens of thousands of people failing first… Well, it just proves how fragile humans are.”

『That’s such a Demon Lord thing to say lol』

“I am a Demon Lord, after all.”

It’s not like I want to be feared by humans, but I also don’t want them to forget I am a Demon Lord. It’s one of the few things that defines me.

“But still, there’s something that’s bothering me.”

“W-What now? I’m getting tired of reacting to everything. Konatsu, can we switch—?”

“No.”

“Why are you suddenly so decisive!?”

Erika-san snapped at Konatsu-san for her immediate reply. What a perfect comeback. I wondered if Erika realized how well she demonstrated her own talent.

“So? What’s bothering you?”

“Well, that sword actually corrupts the user’s mind. No matter how strong a warrior is, normally their psyche would collapse the moment they tried to wield it.”

“Why would you leave something so dangerous lying around!?”

“I mean, even if you ask me that question…”

It was my friend who jammed that sword into the pedestal and abandoned it. I couldn’t do much about that. 

“Oh, it looks like the Hero just finished the battle. The cleric is starting treatment on the spear-user.”

“…Tch.”

“Erika-san?”

“I just can’t stand that cleric—Otohime Hijiri, the one they call the ‘Saint.’ The media paints her as this pure and graceful beauty, but she’s so obviously faking it.”

Erika-san sneered at the cleric girl—aka the Saint—who appeared on the monitor.

“Erika-chan, that sounds a lot like a case of pot calling the kettle—”

“Konatsu, did you say something?”

“…Nothing. But maybe don’t badmouth people during someone else’s stream? Unless your brand is like, ‘dark-hearted, fake-pure beauty.’”

“Th-That’s… I-I’m sorry.”

『Why is Konatsu-chan so assertive today?』

『The power dynamics are totally flipped compared to their usual streams lol』

『Well, this one is totally Erika’s fault though.』

I later found out that viewers loved seeing Erika-san get scolded by Konatsu-san. Apparently, their little lecture sessions became a regular running gag. In fact, videos of their banter could get more views than their regular dungeon livestreams.

You never know what’ll go viral, huh?

As I was thinking that, the Saint finished healing the spear-user, and they began walking again. Then, it happened.  It felt like the Hero made eye contact with me through the monitor.

The Hero spoke toward us.

〈Hey, you’ve been watching this whole time, haven’t you?〉

“Eh? I-Is she talking to us?”

“Hmm, so she noticed our gaze. Impressive.”

This Hero was not to be underestimated—even aside from wielding that dangerous sword. And now, belatedly, I started feeling guilty about exposing her (presumably hidden) gender during a live broadcast.

“I—I’m going to apologize to the Hero!!”

“Wait, huh!? So suddenly!?”

『I guess he must be feeling guilty after exposing Akira’s secret.』

“But how are you going to reach Akira-san? It’s quite a distance on foot, right?”

“Oh, don’t worry. As I’ve mentioned before, this body is just a skeleton I’ve possessed with my soul. If I transfer my soul to a skeleton near the Hero—”

My vision shifted. I was no longer in my hidden room, but standing in a dungeon corridor.

Really, this ability is quite convenient indeed.

“Now then, where’s the Hero?”

“Looking for me?”

A voice called from behind me. As I turned, I saw the Hero Party standing there. Hmm. I hadn’t meant to let my guard down, but to have my back taken so easily… No, admiration could come later. First, I had to apologize for accidentally outing her gender on a livestream.

But when I looked into the Hero’s eyes, I suddenly realized something.

“Ah… I see now. You were broken from the start, weren’t you? No wonder you’re unfazed even after wielding that sword.”

“…Hahaha, I wonder what you’re talking about?”

She hid it well behind that dazzling smile, but I could see it. I had known someone like her before. A true battle maniac—a deviant who only felt alive when gambling with death.

This Hero is a berserker. Thank you very much.

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