The Demon King’s Hand—And the Truth Hidden Beyond the Wall

Furenna had originally intended to simply follow in silence, but Iris clearly had no intention of letting go of this good opportunity to tease her.

She let Hastur enter the spatial passage first, then extended a soft, boneless hand towards Furenna in invitation, making it clear she was demanding that Furenna hold her hand.

“I really don’t want to… Master.”

Furenna felt helpless. No matter how sternly she refused like this, it still sounded like a pet whining to its owner!

“Oh? I’m ordering you to hold my hand~~~”

Iris invoked the contract’s effect. Furenna could not refuse the demand. With a sigh and no other choice, she took Iris’s hand.

Contrary to Furenna’s expectations, Iris’s hand was actually very soft and warm.

But what puzzled Furenna wasn’t the tactile feedback from the palm, but the normal body temperature. Shouldn’t it be abnormally cold?

It wasn’t unreasonable for Furenna to think this way. Historically, every generation of Demon Kings had belonged to the Vampire race, commonly known as the Vampire clan.

This was because vampires had the fastest leveling method among the demons—sucking blood. Coupled with their considerable advantages in physical attributes, inherently vast magic power, and natural proficiency in magic, their characteristics included deathly pale skin and absurdly low body temperatures.

Each Demon King was elected as the strongest among the demon race, and the vampire clan naturally held the championship title, virtually monopolizing the Demon King’s throne.

But why were Demon King Iris’s skin tone and body temperature…?

Before Furenna could figure it out, Iris, holding her hand, led her into the spatial passage, leaving the human world behind.

The passage slowly closed, and the forest regained its tranquility, save for the mountain split in two in the distance.

“We’re here, Furenna. You are the first Hero to ever enter the demon territories~”

After stepping out of the kaleidoscopic passage, the full view of the demon territories unfolded before Furenna’s eyes.

Under a murky gloom that the blazing sun could not penetrate, only darkness blotted out the sky, adorning the firmament.

Demons reveled wildly in the shadows; this was a carnival paradise for monsters.

Seemingly endless numbers of demons roared with thunderous voices, as unbearable as the performance of a third-rate orchestra that had lost its conductor.

This vast space was saturated with the dark fluctuations of the demon race, carrying an aura of corruption and destruction that could make the bravest warrior tremble.

A black castle stood here, wisps of demonic energy drifting from it—it was the source of all the evil before her.

… Fortunately, the real scene was nothing like this at all.

“Welcome to the demon race, Furenna.”

Furenna no longer cared what Iris was saying, because she truly hadn’t expected the demon territories’ actual appearance to be like this, completely unlike the Fringe Wasteland humanity understood.

The sky wasn’t pitch black, but a normal azure blue. The sun hung normally in the sky, radiating warm sunlight.

The ground wasn’t barren earth either, growing many different plants. The sea of flowers and the continuous forest in the distance were even more unexpected to Furenna.

The air was very fresh, without a hint of particulate matter or turbidity, even cleaner than the human territories.

Aside from the instant she entered the demon territories and felt her ability to use magic disappear, the current state of the demon race was completely at odds with human knowledge.

“How is this possible…?”

Furenna even thought it might be an illusion cast by Iris or that she had been pulled into a fantasy by soul magic again. But she genuinely didn’t feel any abnormality. No matter how realistic Iris’s illusions were, they couldn’t strip her of her ability to use magic.

“‘How could it be such a normal scene?’ Right?”

Iris understood the question in Furenna’s heart. Most humans had always believed the demons lived in a sunless, barren wasteland, which was why they were so obsessed with encroaching on human lands.

“It seems the Creator Goddess truly never told you Heroes the truth, and humanity never told you either.”

“Hahaha, how pitiful. Your life has been like that of a pure marionette.”

Iris spoke words Furenna couldn’t comprehend, then pointed towards the distant horizon, signaling Furenna to look.

“Even if you can’t use magic now, your magic power shouldn’t be too affected, right? Look at the horizon. What do you see?”

Following Iris’s instruction, Furenna concentrated her magic power in her eyes and gazed towards the horizon. Finally, in the extreme distance, she saw a sky-obscuring border.

“Is that… a crystal wall?”

A thick red crystal wall perfectly encapsulated the territory where the demons lived with its height and length. This massive engineering feat constituted the demon race’s border.

The red crystal, made of an unknown material, was shaped like an inverted bowl, covering the entire demon territory. The red crystal wall directly overhead was magically transformed into an azure blue sky. The normal sky Furenna saw above her head now was entirely a simulated scene, which was why she could see clouds and the sun.

“No matter how strong our demon race’s vitality is, we couldn’t possibly survive in the harsh environment of the wasteland. After thousands of years, we have long since completed partial environmental transformation of the wasteland, resulting in what you see now,” Iris explained to Furenna. “The crystal wall protects us from the mutated creatures of the wasteland and various storm hazards.”

“And those creatures and hazards have become a natural protective barrier for you demons, Master.”

Furenna felt somewhat shocked. She hadn’t expected the demon race to construct such an excellent project. While surveying the border crystal wall, she also glimpsed many buildings within the territory. Their craftsmanship, technique, and artistic design surpassed humanity’s in many ways. It was hard to imagine they were the Goddess’s failed creations.

“What material is that red crystal, Master?”

Furenna couldn’t contain her curiosity. What substance could withstand the wasteland’s erosion?

“You want to know?”

Iris’s expression turned serious. Furenna realized this was a major secret of the demon race and naturally nodded in confirmation.

“I’m not telling you.”

Huh?

Iris suddenly changed her expression back to a teasing smile. Furenna was stunned for a moment before quickly hardening her expression. She understood now—Iris was deliberately teasing her.

“Hahaha, you really are like a little kitten~”

Iris could tell Furenna was sulking again. Her silent, bristling appearance made Iris take endless delight in teasing her.

With a light laugh, Iris prepared to take Furenna to the demon race’s highest authority—the Demon King’s Castle. Hastur had already tactfully returned ahead of them.

“Let’s go, little kitten. We’re off to the Demon King’s Castle.”

The Demon King’s address for her had changed to “little kitten” again. Furenna forced herself to calm down. Why was she becoming more emotional after signing the contract? She had already called her “Master.” What did “little kitten” matter? The Demon King just wanted her to lose her composure. How could she give her that satisfaction?

The Demon King’s Castle was still very conspicuous. The towering castle was located at the center of the demon territories. Just as Furenna thought they would have to travel on foot, Iris’s entire body surged with magic power, and she actually spread wings formed from wind magic.

“What…?”

Furenna hurriedly circulated her own magic power, but it refused to obey any precise command, unable to form a spell.

Of course. The demon territories were in the wasteland, and magic couldn’t be used in the wasteland. But why could Iris use it???

“Come on, little kitten. I’ll carry you.”

Iris extended her arms. Bound by the contract, Furenna could not refuse Iris’s demand. She had no choice but to accept the Demon King’s princess carry. As for the question of being able to use magic, she figured Iris wouldn’t give her a proper answer. Since Iris hadn’t brought it up, Furenna didn’t intend to ask either, or she’d just be played for a fool again.

Maintaining a stoic yet slightly stiff expression, Furenna placed her hands on Iris’s shoulders. Iris hooked her right arm under Furenna’s legs and her left arm around Furenna’s back, effortlessly lifting the Hero into her embrace. With a flap of her wings, she soared towards the Demon King’s Castle.