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? - 13

Chapter 13: The Weak Demon Lord Learns the Hero’s True Nature

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I locked eyes with the Hero. Just by doing that, I could understand the true nature hidden within her. This person was a berserker—someone who only felt truly alive in a battle for life and death.

“…How did you know? Here I thought I looked like a perfectly wholesome person.”

“I’ve seen someone with eyes like yours before. A lunatic who picked a fight even with the Great Demon Lord.”

“That’s harsh. The way you word it makes it sound like you’re calling me a lunatic too.”

“By the way, where are your companions?”

“I knocked them out over there. If I’m going to fight, it’s gotta be one-on-one.”

The Hero pointed down the corridor as she spoke. I didn’t sense any deception in her words.

“You’re challenging me to a duel? Aren’t you underestimating me a bit? I may be one of the weaker Demon Lords, but I’m still decently strong, you know.”

“Nice. I’m getting excited. This is my first time fighting a Demon Lord.”

The Hero drew the 『Sword That’ll Absolutely Kill Olden No. 18』—also known as the 【Holy Sword: Grand EX】. I clenched my fists and lowered my stance. Upon seeing that, the Hero blinked in surprise.

“…Are you going to fight me with your fists? Aren’t you going to do that rumored mass skeleton summoning thing?”

“Someone like you… I’ll have to crush you head-on, or you’ll just keep coming back.”

“…Hahaha. I never thought I would finally meet someone who could understand me that well.”

“I’m not a person, though. I’m a skeleton.”

The moment I tossed out that quip, the Hero charged. Her footfall hit the ground hard enough to cave it in as she closed the distance in a flash. The sword came down, aiming for my neck.

I dodged it by taking a half-step back. But the Hero wasn’t letting up. She took another step and followed with a punch from her off-hand. It wasn’t enough to hurt me, so I took it head-on.

“Hehehehe… It didn’t even tickle.”

“I see. I heard you were immortal, but that doesn’t seem quite right.”

“Oh? And what makes you say that—”

“Because you dodged my first attack. More precisely, you specifically avoided the one I made with Grand EX.”

“Guh.”

“…You’re easy to read. Well, I’m not using the sword to its full potential anyway, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it has some built-in anti-immortal stuff.”

This Hero really was no joke!

“Heh… Haha! Yes, that sword can hurt me. But if it doesn’t hit me, it doesn’t matter!!”

“Then I just need to make sure it hits.”

The Hero came slashing again. She was fast. Strength aside, she had the edge in speed. In a straight-up clash, she had the advantage. In that case, the solution was simple. I just needed more hands. Literally.

“That form…”

“Demon Lord Olden—Four-Armed Version.”

“…That’s kinda gross.”

“Even Demon Lords have feelings, you know? We’re going to get hurt if you insult us so nonchalantly like that.”

“Just kidding. I’m pumped now.”

Now it was my turn. I lunged forward and unleashed a barrage with all four fists. The Hero deftly deflected and parried with her sword. My torso was left wide open.

“Right here!”

“Too bad.”

I caught Grand EX between a fifth and sixth arm I’d secretly grown around my stomach.

“Ugh, gross.”

“…That one didn’t sound like a joke…”

“Ah—sorry.”

Her words stung my glass heart just a little. While I sulked, the Hero kicked me away and created some distance between us.

“How many arms can you grow, anyway?”

“My signature move is the 『Skeleton Thousand-Armed Kannon』. I can grow a thousand, though I can only move six at once.”

“…I kinda want to see that.”

The Hero kept joking as she held Grand EX in front of her, staring intently at me. Then, for some reason, she lowered her sword.

“No good. You’re not showing any openings now—not like when you had just two arms.”

“Oh? You’re not going to finish to the end?”

“I only like fights where it’s win or lose, live or die. If I already know I’m going to lose or die, then I’m not gonna bother. At least, not right now.”

“…I see.”

I also released my stance and lowered my fists. “Not right now” meant she hadn’t given up on beating me. Humans tended to perform better the second time around than the first. Next time, she’d likely come back stronger. Maybe then I’d fight seriously too.

As I was thinking about that, the Hero pulled something from her pocket.

“A cigarette?”

“Yep. I usually avoid smoking in public for the sake of my image, but I can’t help it after something this fun. Want one?”

“Sure. I’m actually curious about it.”

I accepted the cigarette from the Hero and lit it.

“Hmm. So this is what cigarettes are like.”

“…Not to be weird, but how are you even smoking that? You don’t have lungs, right?”

“No nitpicking. Isn’t it just as weird that I can talk without vocal cords or move my body without muscles or tendons?”

“Fair point.”

I chatted peacefully with the Hero. Berserkers like her tended to be gentle and easy to talk to outside of combat. After a while of bonding over cigarettes, I suddenly remembered why I came here.

“Ah—right. Um, Hero-san.”

“Just call me Akira. I’ll call you Olden too.”

“R-Really? Then I’ll take you up on that. Akira-san, I actually have something to apologize for…”

“What is it?”

I apologized for accidentally revealing Akira-san’s gender during the livestream. In response, she simply said.

“Oh, that? Don’t worry about it.”

“W-What do you mean, ‘don’t worry about it’!? Won’t that mess up your whole public image…?”

“Nope. I never once said I was a man, after all.”

“…What?”

“Girls just started thinking of me like a prince on their own, and the guys got jealous. I mean—look at me. I’m used to this sort of thing.”

She really just said that herself. Though… Well, she was right.

“Actually… Hey, we’re still streaming right now, aren’t we?”

“Eh? Uh, well, technically my eyes and ears are linked to a monitor, so yes…”

“In that case—”

Suddenly, Akira-san leaned in close. With her overwhelmingly beautiful face and a sweet voice, she addressed the viewers.

“If any of you want to be held by me, just reach out. I’ll spoil you so much, you won’t be able to live without me.”

“…Wow.”

“Hahaha, don’t look at me like that. Oh—and boys, feel free to reach out too. I go both ways. You wouldn’t guess from the bandages, but I’ve got quite the boobs too, you know?”

I wondered how many people had their sexualities scrambled by that line alone. My curiosity was so piqued to the point I kept thinking about it at night. 

Not that I need sleep. I’m a skeleton after all.

After that, we chatted a little more. Once the other Hero Party members regained consciousness, I made my exit. As an aside, apparently a huge number of people—men and women alike—lined up to be held by Akira-san. They funded her with generous donations, allowing her to get top-tier equipment and challenge me again.

Humans who’ll do anything to win are terrifying.

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Afterword:

Later, after watching the livestream archive and learning Akira’s true gender and nature—and realizing that Akira had been sleeping with random men and women—Saint Otohime (the priestess) had a full mental breakdown. She awakened to both a cuckolding and financial domination fetish.

Incidentally, Akira’s chest was indecently big.