The next thing I knew, I was there.
　In the dark, in an empty space. I was alone in the world.
　There's no one else. I'm alone.
　Then that man appeared in front of me.

"Uh, nice to meet you!

　It was a golden-haired, vivacious girl who hadn't picked up a sword for very long.
　But what was more surprising was that the girl spoke to me without fear.

"You are the ...... demon who lives in this temple, right?

　So this time I was just a demon.
　The golden beast. The golden wolf. The guardian of lore. The fanged demon king. One of the seven worst of the world's seven wolves.
　It has many titles, the simplest of which is SS-ranked demon, Sun Wolf Squall.

...... I heard about you and wanted to meet you, so I came here. I've been told by my brother that he doesn't think a newbie without a heroic title would be able to touch me, but after hearing rumors about you, I just didn't think you were such an evil demon.

　I knew from this point on that this girl talking to me was a strange child.
　Demons are evil.
　And if not, demons are there to be defeated by men.
　Why is it that demons have so much food in this world?
　And can most of the resources of this world be obtained by slaying demons?
　It is all part of the reason for defeating the demons.
　Therefore, demons are evil that must be defeated. They are a necessary evil in this world.
　And yet this child is a strange one to question it and even question the demon.
　I had no intention of attacking someone as immature as her from the start, but as I listened to her, my venom completely drained out of me, and I found myself sitting still listening to the girl's questioning talk.

Can I come back here again?

　After a long talk, the girl asked her that question.
　I just stared at the girl quietly, not answering her question.
　Perhaps she took that silence as an affirmation, or perhaps she bowed her head and left, saying only that she would come back.

　From then on, it was a really strange day.
　The girl came to visit me every day.
　At first she would ask me questions about me, about demons, but when she felt that I wasn't interested in answering her questions, she would turn to talk about herself.

　Where I was born and raised, what places I've been to and what I've done, what I felt there.
　She has a family, an older brother, no parents anymore, and she wants to be a brave person to live up to her brother's expectations.
　At first you slayed many demons in order to become a hero, but gradually you wondered what the purpose of slaying demons was.
　Why are people and demons hostile to each other in the first place?
　How long has it been going on?
　What is the purpose of the hero system?

　Just when you were wondering these questions, you heard a rumor about a demon.
　It's a rumor of a legendary SS-ranked demon that exists in a hidden ruin in your home forest.
　And that this demon will bring back to life the heroes and adventurers who challenged him to defeat them without killing them.
　It's as if it has a mind of its own to face people.
　And after a while, you became interested in the monster and came to see him.

And I think. I'm going to think. To become a brave man, you hunt demons to earn points. I wonder if that's really necessary. Shouldn't I hunt only the monsters I can live with? People and demons are both alive, and if people and demons can coexist in harmony, that's what's best.

　The girl who says such wondrous things.
　How I wish I could do it.
　But that's not the role this world wants demons to play.
　We demons, especially those of us who are SS-ranked, are to be defeated by men.
　We are demons who exist as one of the demon kings who should be defeated by people as their ultimate goal.
　The first time I answered that to the girl, she looked at me with a look of deep-seated surprise.

"You scared me. You could talk. I was surprised because you came out of nowhere.

　After the girl told me that, I later realized that it was indeed true.
　It seems that before I knew it, I got used to spending time with this girl and said the things I thought in my head without knowing it.
　But this girl who used to talk to me while thinking that I couldn't speak is also a natural.
　But it doesn't matter, and the girl smiles brightly.

But I'm glad to hear that this is the first time we've talked. It would be nice to hear from you again if you could.





　I've been looking forward to the girl's arrival somewhere in my heart.
　To be alone in the depths of the ruins, to give the humans who visit there a battle called a test.
　That was my only role.
　Not only me, but all SS-ranked demons were given this role.
　It's exactly the role of a demon king.
　If there's a need, I'll play that role one day.
　That's why we don't need all the concepts people have.

　They were family, friends, lovers, and love.
　But at the same time, I envied those who possessed those concepts.

　One of the factors that made them strong was always one of them.
　Family, friends, parents, siblings, and lovers are there for them to shine.
　I envied them for their brilliance.
　So.



"Hey, Squall. Will you be my friend?

　I'll never forget the shock when the girl said those words.
　I am the natural enemy of mankind and the scourge itself.
　You are the king of evil demons to be defeated by men.
　The girl called out to me without fear.

"No?

　To that question of the girl, but I tell you.
　I tell you my role. People are there to defeat you, and one day you will have to be defeated by them.
　That there was no way you could be friends with him.

That's not true!　I will never hurt Squall, and if someone hurts him, I will protect him!

　A girl who is supposed to be much weaker than I am.
　The girl spread her body wide open as if she were taking a stand for me.

I don't know about that role or anything difficult, but I think that a world where people and demons can coexist is much more wonderful than a world where people defeat demons. I believe that one day the person who can break the boundary between the two races will appear in this world to maintain the bond between them. And when that happens, I will be there to help him.

　It's a feat that no human being born and raised in this world would ever be able to perform.
　But if such a world could be created--

"So let's go for it and be friends with Squall. But I'm already a friend!

　The girl who smiled and held out her hand.
　I was so taken by the friendship she showed me that I took her hand.

　That was the second mistake I made.
　The first mistake was meeting her in the first place.
　I didn't reject her in the first place.
　And that was a big mistake, I would later learn.





　That day, the girl was unusually late.
　I was surprised at my own change of heart when I found myself feeling uneasy and lonely when she did not come.
　But that day, it was the girl and the adventurers who arrived to seize her and her.

I didn't think the rumors were real: ......

"Yeah, an SS-ranked demon.

　Then the men saw me and each took a weapon in their hands.
　In the past, these belligerents would have crushed them and thrown them at the entrance of the ruins.
　But this time it was not to be, because...

"Whoa, don't move!　I know you're good friends with this woman!　Move and I'll behead this woman!

　One of them restrained the girl and held her sword at her neck.
　I did as I was told.

This one surprised me. Do you really have feelings for this girl, you monster?

"Yeah, it's hard to believe, but it's good for us. Now we can take down the legendary SS-ranked demon!

"Ah!　As soon as we defeat the SS-ranked ones, we'll get the title of the Seven Heroes class in a heartbeat!

"I remember last month, there was a guy who became one of the Seven Heroes by defeating an SS-ranked demon for the first time by himself, right?　Was the heroic hero?　I've gone from being a mere adventurer to a hero. We missed our first SS-ranked defeat, but if we do this, we're going to move up to that class in a heartbeat.

　Each of them, blinded by their honor, status, or subsequent rewards, spouted shallow lines while holding their weapons in their hands to injure me one by one.
　I should have been defeated by human hands at some point, but defeating me in this way does not mean that I have done anything for people or the world.
　But it's still a bargain if this can save your friend's life.
　After all, your own life is just a pawn in the world.

　But is my opponent still inexperienced or am I too strong?
　Time passes, literally and slowly, without being able to inflict a fatal wound.
　At times like this, being too strong is also a problem.
　Even as I thought this, one of the exasperated adventurer leaders stabbed my sword into my chest, which finally pierced my flesh and caused blood to drip.

Heh!　The monster!　Finally, the sting!　I'm going to gouge your heart out, so don't move!

　Then the sword pierces your flesh with a thump, and a lot of blood flows out as it plunges into your body.
　This is finally the end of my role.
　The moment you are about to close your eyes, a scream comes from the wood.

"No, no, no, no!

　The man who should have been holding the girl slackens his guard at the thought of being able to take away her life, and the girl brushes him off and approaches the man with her sword against his chest.
　The girl throws the man off of the sword by clasping his back behind her back.

Don't!　Squall, don't mess with my friends!

"Tee hee!　You little b*tc*!　Get the f*ck off me!

　The girl who came close to knocking the man down and pulling out the sword that was stuck in me.

Hang on, Squall. I'll help you. ......

　The usual gentle smile.
　Calling me a friend, she took the sword she had stuck in me and pulled it from her chest.
　A girl's smile of relief.
　The next moment, I saw blood flowing from her back.



"...... ah, there is ......

　The girl fell soundlessly with a smile on her face.
　Behind her stands a man in a posture with his sword drawn down.

You idiot!　What are you killing!

"I don't care!　That monster would be dying of his current wounds anyway!　We don't need any more hostages in this situation!　We can kill you on our own!

...... that's right. Hey, I'll put a stop to that!

　The men surrounding him did not hear him.
　As I held the fallen girl in my arms, I never forgot the last smile she gave me and her words.

...... Thank you ...... for being my friend and for being my friend. ......

　That was the girl - Lily's last word.

　I felt remorse.
　The mistakes I've made.

　The first was meeting her.
　The second was being friends with her.
　And the third and final mistake was that if I had really tried to kill these people instead of being at their beck and call, I might have saved her instead of giving her time to die.

　I could have saved her life three times, but I gave up on all of them, letting my emotions get the better of me.
　Therefore, it was I who killed her.
　It was my stupid and thoughtless choice that killed her.

　I can't forgive him.
　The anger isn't directed at them for turning on this child, but at me.
　and I was the one who had to die.





　When I came to find myself among the bloody corpses with Lily in my arms, I shed my first tears.
　She's the only one you can't kill.
　She's the only one you must not kill. It's wrong for a pawn like yourself, who was prepared to be killed, to live and kill a being like her, whom the world wanted.
　Yes, this was a mistake.
　I was the one who died.
　An SS-ranked demon, the sun-wolf squall, is dead.
　This girl, Lily, isn't dead.
　That's a fact.

　The fact that Lily is dead - it shouldn't be.

　When I woke up I had changed.
　Originally, SS-ranked demons possessed the ability to humanize themselves.
　Many never even use it, but when necessary, they can change into the form they set for themselves.
　That's why I chose Lily.
　Her form, and her memories.
　I've been told by her her whole life, her path from birth to now.
　Her whole personality.

　I erased my own existence.
　I erased my being a monster.
　Because the one who died here was an SS-ranked monster.
　Lily is the one who survived.

　She lives on. After all. And always will be.

　And when I wandered into the woods, my brother found me.
　I had no memory of what happened before or after, and there were many gaps in my memory, but that was because I was involved in some kind of incident.
　Thanks to his brother's judgment, after curing himself, he received the title of hero as Lily, and then - he met Kyou.