Vol. 1: Prologue

Volume 1: The Demon Lord Arrives in Another World Prologue

Author: Geraint

"Hold on, Seir-sama! I swear on my life, they won't be able to catch you — our new Demon King!"

I was weak and wounded — that's how I ended up after dueling my father, the current Demon King who rules all the demon races. I barely defeated him, but exhaustion stopped me from finishing the job. My accomplice, a half-demon with long silvery-white hair, and my loyal maidservant quickly carried me away from the castle while the Demon army pursued us relentlessly.

"Don't let the prince escape! Kill that traitor on the spot!""Unforgivable!"

My maid leapt down the hill, carrying me on her back. She hopped from rock to rock, crossing the river with impressive agility.

"Sorry for the trouble, Lilith. I can only count on you now.""What do you mean, Seir-sama? I've told you — no matter what you decide, I'll follow you. Even if it means betraying our homeland."

I clenched my fists. "I don't call that place home anymore, not after what they did to that village. I'll never forgive him."

Flames engulfed the memories in my mind — children of different races lying lifeless, brutally slaughtered by the Demon army. That village was my sanctuary. I often snuck out of the Demon King's castle with Lilith just to play there. But my father ordered its destruction, stealing that precious place from me. My fury drove me to seek revenge. But I ran out of magic power, battling his generals, and failed to kill him. We had no choice but to retreat.

"I couldn't kill him, Lilith. They won't stop chasing me until I'm dead. There's no safe place in demon territory. Humans and others won't shelter us. Without taking the throne from my father, only doom awaits."

"Don't lose hope, Seir-sama! Next time, we'll defeat him for sure."

To ease her burden, I reverted to my younger form — my original age. It helped me recover faster, though my small stature made fighting harder.

"We can get through this. Please believe in me—Huh?"

The gem on Lilith's necklace suddenly glowed bright, pulling her and pointing in a certain direction.

"My mom's necklace! It's leading us somewhere."

Lilith hesitated, but followed the necklace's glow. We soon reached a dead end — a steep cliff. The necklace kept glowing, guiding us downward.

"I'm sorry, Seir-sama. If I hadn't followed this necklace, we wouldn't be in this mess." Tears welled in Lilith's eyes.

The Demon army was closing in. I had to trust the necklace's guidance.

"Jump, Lilith!""But Seir-sama... it's dangerous!""Just jump! I'll protect us with my remaining power!"

She didn't hesitate."Hyaah!"

As we fell, I prepared to transform back to my adult form, but her necklace shone, surrounding us with a blinding light. The falling sensation vanished.

"Huh?"

We splashed into deep water. I opened my eyes to see Lilith swimming toward me, grabbing my arm, and pulling me toward the shallow shore. We had fallen into a river.

"Seir-sama! Are you okay?""I'm fine. But where are we?"

Around us, water cascaded from a stunning waterfall, glowing in the sunset. We decided to camp nearby, drying our clothes. I built a shelter of branches and leaves, lighting a bonfire with my fire magic to keep us warm. I lay on big leaves while Lilith tended my wounds with medicinal herbs.

"I'm glad we survived, Seir-sama.""We can't let our guard down. We still don't know where we are.""Yes... Please rest now. I'll keep watch."

Her warm smile comforted me as I closed my eyes.

"Goodnight, Seir-sama."

The next morning, pain from my healing injuries reminded me of my wounds. Bandages covered me. Lilith slept peacefully beside me, naked. I smiled, stretching as I stood. With some magic restored, I focused on healing completely. I tore off the bandages — not a wound remained.

"Now... how do I get back to that old man? This time, I'll finish him."

"Hmm? Seir-sama?"Lilith woke, rubbing her eyes, unaware her bare chest was exposed.

"H-Hyah!"She immediately covered herself.

Once our clothes dried, we packed and walked through the forest until a roaring sound caught our attention. We found a clear road fenced with metal. I was surprised — such precious material wasted instead of weapons.

Curious, Lilith stepped onto the road."Seir-sama, look! This road is amazing! It would be perfect for a carriage—"

Toooot~ Toooot~

A roaring sound raced toward us. I sensed danger and grabbed Lilith, leaping high to avoid being hit.

"What was that?!"

She gasped as I grabbed a tree branch, pulling us into the bushes to hide.

"Ssssh!" I put a finger to my lips. Lilith covered her mouth.

The strange vehicle stopped, and a door slid open. A person stepped out, scratching his head and looking worriedly around. I couldn't understand his language. He looked human, but his clothes were unfamiliar.

Finding nothing, he shivered and quickly returned to his vehicle, which sped away.

"A human inside a dragon? How is that possible?" Lilith looked baffled."It's not a dragon.""Then what is it, Seir-sama?""I don't know. Let's find out."

We left the bushes and followed the road.

(To be continued.)