The Demon King Who Was Supposed to Lose Ended Up Defeating the Targets, and Now the Heroine Has Been Sent as a Sacrifice - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: The Demon King Supposed to Lose, Kidnaps an Elf

Carrying Fione in my arms, I flew through the sky, chasing after Elsia.

The forest where our targets had fled was already surrounded by Elsia’s army. I used my position as the captain of the royal guard, Adelo, to meet with Elsia.

In Elsia’s command tent, I found Ryukshu, Misha, and her adjutant, Maron.

Honestly, I didn’t want Ryukshu, Misha, or Elsia doing anything too dangerous, especially since they were pregnant…

But they all had their own reasons:

“I want to crush some humans on the battlefield!”

“I want to be useful to my sister!”

 “It’s a perfect chance for revenge.”

Even while being careful of their unborn children, they were still eager to fulfill their desires.

Setting that aside for now, I explained Fione’s situation to Elsia.

“I see… so Fione’s little sister is in that village…”

After hearing the story, Elsia placed her hand on her mouth, looking thoughtful.

It seemed like something had crossed her mind.

“Actually, before you arrived, Lord Diablo, I sent a small squad into the forest. But they were attacked by armed elves—not by the people from the kingdom.”

“Hmm. What happened?”

“It was just a scouting mission, so we pulled back before there were any casualties. However, among the elves attacking us…”

“Could it be…?”

“Yes, there was a silver-haired elf. And she was quite skilled.”

As Elsia said this, Ryukshu, standing beside her, let out a frustrated growl.

“She was insanely strong… I couldn’t even tell where the attacks were coming from.”

“You fought her, Ryukshu?”

“Yeah. I realized we couldn’t win, so I got out of there fast.”

Ryukshu is one of the strongest in Elsia’s army, and even among the entire Demon King’s forces, she’s top-tier.

For someone so powerful to retreat without hesitation… Could this skilled fighter really be Fione’s sister?

“Alright, I’ll go.”

“”W-What!?””

“The forest is elf territory. If we engage in a guerrilla war… blending in with the trees and launching sporadic attacks, we’d take significant losses.”

“That… might be true, but…”

Elsia pouted, clearly not pleased with the idea.

“Just make sure you don’t accidentally kill my prey, okay?”

“I understand. I’ll capture Fione’s sister and bring her back.”

It’s terrifying to deal with an angry Elsia, I mused to myself.

With that thought in mind, I ventured alone into the forest.

The forest was dense, with poor visibility, and the paths were nothing more than animal trails. 

Every step forward was a struggle. The scouting team must have had a hard time fighting in these conditions.

It would be easy to just burn down the forest, but that would also endanger our targets and Fione’s sister. Not an option.

Things rarely go as smoothly as you’d hope.

“Hmm?”

Just as I was thinking that, an arrow came flying straight for my head. I instinctively caught it mid-air.

“That was close… Oh, it’s coated in poison.”

Whoever fired this really meant to kill.

Well, from the elves’ perspective, we’re the invaders. Of course they’d try to take us out.

Even with my overwhelming level advantage, the dense trees make it troublesome.

Plus, the attackers are excellent at concealing their presence.

I could sense that they were moving through the trees, but there were no footsteps.

It felt like I could almost detect them by the movement of the wind, but then I couldn’t quite pinpoint them.

It was like the unsettling feeling you get when you see a bug in your house, and then it disappears somewhere, leaving you on edge.

What should I do?

“Hmm?”

I noticed the sound of more footsteps. Probably around twenty people?

Unlike the first one, they weren’t as skilled at moving stealthily. I could easily figure out their positions.

“Darkness Gatling.”

I cast a spell toward the reinforcements.

Since Fione’s silver-haired sister might be among them, I made sure to keep the spell’s power to a minimum, just enough to avoid accidentally killing anyone.

Screams echoed from all directions.

“Waaah!!”

“Gyaaah!!”

“Ugh!!”

“Guh!!”

“Urgh!!”

My spell hit its targets with precision, and several elves fell from the trees.

Looks like even elves can fall from trees.

The first attacker… that was impressive. They managed to dodge all of my attacks.

But now, perhaps startled by the unexpected counterattack, the initial assailant had paused, watching me carefully.

“Now, where’s the silver-haired elf…?”

I checked the elves who had fallen, but there was no silver-haired female among them.

The elves glared at me with intense hatred.

“Who… who are you!?”

“…Hmm. Just a passing by Demon King.”

“Wha…! So it’s you! You’re the Demon King!!”

The elf who seemed to be their leader laughed defiantly.

“—Do it!! Kill the Demon King, Kirika!!”

“Ouch.”

I felt something cold tap the back of my neck.

She must have swung her blade with enough force to try and decapitate me.

I could feel the metallic resistance as it struck my neck, and I sensed the attacker’s shock at the unexpected result.

I turned around.

“Oh, there you are. Darkness Bind.”

“!?“

The one who had aimed for my neck was a silver-haired elf.

She had a modest chest, stood around 170 cm tall like a model, and had a slender figure.

Her outfit was typical of elves, with high exposure that left her thighs, shoulders, and collarbone bare, exuding an odd sense of allure.

Also, she had a rather large rear.

Her name matched what Fione had told me beforehand.

I used magic to bind Kirika in place.

Black tendrils sprouted from the ground, firmly restraining her limbs.

…This looked a bit too much like a tentacle scene.

“Ugh.”

“Don’t worry, I have no intention of harming you.”

I tried to calm her down, but Kirika spat at me in defiance.

“What are you doing?”

“Shut up!! You demon scum! You killed my sister, Fione! I’ll kill you with my own hands!!”

“…I see.”

Could it be that Kirika thinks Fione is dead?

Given that we recently established the human ranch, it wouldn’t be surprising if she mistakenly believed Fione had been killed during that time.

But… something doesn’t add up.

The hatred I sense from Kirika isn’t something that could have developed in just a few months.

In fact, it might be even stronger than Elsia’s hatred toward her targets.

It’s as if she has been harboring this resentment for decades, and now she’s finally gotten the chance to act on it.

A sudden realization hit me.

“Kirika, your sister is alive.”

“…What?”

“I don’t know what the other elves told you, but Fione is alive. If you don’t believe me, you can come with me and see for yourself.”

Kirika looked shaken by my words.

I suspected that she had been told something like, “Your sister was killed by demons,” to turn her into a weapon when needed.

It seems the elves aren’t as noble as they pretend to be.

Then again, from their perspective, a silver-haired elf probably has no rights at all.

“Don’t be fooled, Kirika!! Your sister was killed by the Demon King’s army led by the Demon King himself—”

“Shut up.”

“B-But, he’s the Demon King, and—”

“I said shut up!!”

“Hik!”

It wasn’t me who silenced the noisy elf—it was Kirika.

With the elf now quiet, Kirika continued, glaring at me.

“…If my sister is truly alive, then take me to her. If she really is my sister, I’ll apologize for my… no, for my disrespect toward you.”

“Okay. Let’s go.”

“…I can walk on my own.”

“Don’t be stubborn.”

Kirika protested as I prepared to transport her while keeping her bound by magic.

But if she tried to escape or resist, it would be a hassle. 

Better to stay cautious, even if she doesn’t intend to cause trouble.

And so, I successfully “abducted” Fione’s sister.

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Afterword: Just a little side story

Author: “Isn’t it perfect when the older sister is a loli and the younger sister is tall?”

D: “I get it.”

If you thought, “Elves falling from trees, lol,” “Elves are the worst,” or “I relate on a Mariana Trench level,” please leave a comment, bookmark, rate, or review!