The Virgin Hero Who Fought in the Dungeon for 20 Years Returned to the Surface Only to Find the Population of the World Has Dropped Drastically, with a Male-to-Female Ratio of 1:1000 - 99

Chapter 99: The True Demon Lord’s Gift

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What should I do?

For a brief moment, Ryuuto was at a loss, then he turned his gaze slightly to the left. There, a white-painted clown was flailing about in a ridiculous pantomime. Ryuuto slowly stepped over the scattered rubble of golems and debris and approached the clown. But he never averted his eyes. He charged his entire body with magic, ready to respond to any sudden movement from the prey before him.

“Yo. You made quite the flashy entrance, but it looks like you’re the only one left.”

The clown Ryuuto addressed began miming in a panic, pretending to run away in silence.

Ryuuto lightly spun his index finger, forming a small ring of fire in the air, and immediately released it. The fiery ring shot forward like a bullet, struck the clown at the base of his right shoulder, and severed his long arm in an instant.

The clown opened his mouth wide in shock, staggering as blood gushed out like a fountain.

“Hey, quit messing around. That’s not gonna do you any good, is it?”

“You figured it out quickly. As expected of Ryuuto Sakazaki, acknowledged as a worthy rival by the True Demon Lord.”

“Oh? So you can actually talk properly. Then you’d better tell me everything you know. And don’t even think about running.”

“Very well. I, the Clown, will answer whatever I can.”

The clown stood upright, feet neatly together. From the stump of his lost right arm, the flesh bubbled, and in an instant he regenerated the limb.

“I only caught bits and pieces, but… Who exactly is this ‘True Demon Lord’?”

“It’s the True Demon Lord. The rightful heir of the Demon King you once slew, and far surpasses him in strength. In short, the savior of us demons.”

“What’s their goal?”

“The defeat and rule of rebellious humanity on this land.”

“Not complete annihilation?”

“No. According to prior intelligence, humanity rules this land with women vastly outnumbering men. Fortunately—or unfortunately—among our kind, many races possess the ability to impregnate humans regardless of gender. And humans, though physically weak, are fertile year-round and well-suited to reproduction. We will create them—countless soldiers, born of demon and human alike, to form the ultimate army. That is the first objective.”

“Huh. You sure it’s okay telling me all that? Besides, you guys came here today knowing I’d be here, didn’t you?”

“Sharp, aren’t you? Hahaha. You who slew the previous Demon King—the True Demon Lord sees you as the greatest rival, the wall to overcome. Only by killing you will a new era begin.”

“So that big brute earlier was just a trial run?”

“Well, I’m also here to provide you with some information. If you were too weak as you are now, the True Demon Lord would find no amusement in defeating you. It will take decades yet to complete the ultimate army. Until then, the True Demon Lord wishes to enjoy this amusement… The amusement of fighting you.”

“Tch. Sooner or later, I’ll have to fight you all anyway, huh. Just when I was planning to finish my job and enjoy my youth…”

“No, no. The True Demon Lord is magnanimous. Ryuuto Sakazaki—by slaying Chiriat, you’ve already proven yourself as the real deal and the greatest Demon Lord in history, the True Demon Lord, would never appear without a gift in hand.”

Saying this, the clown rummaged in his coat pocket and pulled out a small accessory, tossing it toward Ryuuto.

“This is—?”

Ryuuto caught it reflexively, then froze.

A silver locket pendant, strangely familiar. His sense of smell, sharper than a dog’s, caught the faint lingering scent, nearly making him faint. He remembered the photo inside—the tense expression, the stiff face glaring off into the distance. 

It was a photo taken at a town photo studio. His own face at eighteen years old. And there was only one person in the world he had entrusted it to.

“N-no way…”

“That’s right. The granddaughter of Sirius, the great sage and peerless magician who tormented us even more than the previous Demon King. Your former companion—Rinka Hoshioka Malmstein. Her life is undoubtedly in our hands.”

The cold rattle of the chain sounded bleak. His breathing turned ragged.

Calm down. Calm down.

Ryuuto knew demons were ruthless, never hesitating to kill or wound. But when they displayed composure and entered negotiations, they did not lie. Especially when their own lives were not immediately on the line during battle. 

For high-ranking demons, falsehoods would disgrace their pride. Even the Demon King Ryuuto had fought never attempted deception in negotiations, even if they were merciless in combat. That much made the clown’s words all the more credible.

“What’s the purpose of telling me this—?”

“No purpose in particular. If anything, this information is like a gift directly from the True Demon Lord to you, Ryuuto Sakazaki. I hear you were quite close to this magician. That being the case, you cannot afford to hold back in the battles to come. The True Demon Lord desires it—your true, earnest struggle. If this rouses your fighting spirit, then I have fulfilled my duty. Now, await the opening of the next act. We demons live long lives. Let us take our time, and enjoy it—the deadly game between demon and human.”

Ryuuto raised his face from the locket. But the clown bowed quietly and sank into the ground, vanishing as though swallowed whole.

“Until we meet again. Very soon—”

The final words carried a strange warmth, almost wistful. Ryuuto stood in the dim dungeon where the clown had disappeared, gripping his own throat with his left hand. If not, he would have howled aloud.

I already understood, deep down, that I could not remain an Urashima Tarō forever.

Information on Rinka could be found in countless articles online or in libraries. Rumors of her elopement, rumors of her death. But Ryuuto had never been able to accept them in his heart.

Rinka is alive.

It was intuition, but he believed it wholeheartedly. His breath seared like fire. His throat burned. He wanted to run, for no reason at all. His emotions spun out of control, beyond his understanding.

But after returning to the surface, Ryuuto realized more strongly than ever that his own heart was beating powerfully. From the top of his head to the tips of his toes, heat consumed him, and he ground his teeth together with a sharp creak.

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Things have become quite interesting…

The True Demon Lord, heir of the Demon King, smiled faintly behind their mask as they listened to the clown’s report. It was a rare occurrence, but they had already engraved the existence and power of Ryuuto Sakazaki into their eyes through their familiars.

For now, Ryuuto had passed. To effortlessly defeat one of the five demon generals they had created for amusement—the Demon of Earth—was an impressive feat.

The Demon of Earth’s power was enough to match thousands of ordinary monsters. In theory, if he moved, one or two major human cities would fall quickly. Yet Ryuuto destroyed him without suffering the slightest wound. Just as the True Demon Lord themselves might do—like twisting off a baby’s hand.

And, as Clown had said, securing one of Ryuuto’s companions had further fueled their rival’s fighting spirit. That outcome exceeded even expectations. Seated upon their massive throne, the True Demon Lord ordered their servant to release a giant venomous serpent from its cage.

The True Demon Lord nonchalantly removed their mask. The cruel face beneath softened slightly. Chuckling darkly, they picked up the serpent. The snake, over five meters long, reared back, baring its fangs to strike. But faster than that, its head was twisted.

The True Demon Lord rotated the serpent’s neck until it snapped, then tore the head off and placed it into their mouth. Slowly, the True Demon Lord chewed the snake with their massive fangs, while blood spurted from the severed neck. They squeezed the blood into a glass.

Then the True Demon Lord looked down at the massive crystal sphere at their feet, where a girl lay sleeping. The True Demon raised the glass to their nose, inhaling deeply the scent of blood.

Now then, how shall I play with this?

Within the crystal sphere, Rinka was sealed away. She was dreaming in a deep slumber. The day her drowsy reality would end drew steadily closer.

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