– Demon Capital of the Crimson Demon Kingdom –

A small kingdom on the north with only a mere more than thousand of demons living on it.

It’s one of the three demon kingdom currently existed, and was currently ruled by one of the three great demon clans; One-horned Crimson Demon Clan.

In the throne hall,

“—As has been said, I carry with me an important message addressed to her highness the princess; Aster Lucifer.”

The one who politely said that was a lone little girl who was kneeling while hanging her head down, not daring to raise her face even a little.

She looks like a human girl if not for the small horn curving upward in the right side of her head.

She was a demon.

In addition, she was the demon girl Hein met and freed from slavery. The one Hein asked to deliver some message.

When she finally arrived at the demon capital, she hastily went to the demon palace to deliver the message.

Because of various circumstances, she wasn’t allowed to see the demon princess directly and was stopped by the guards.

So now she was kneeling in front of a large magnificent throne where a man with crimson hair was sitting.

—This man was the crimson demon king; Virhell Lucifer.

“You may raise your face.” A hoarse yet powerful voice came from the throne above.

It was the voice of the demon king; Virhell Lucifer.

“May I know what the message was and who sent it?”

As the demon girl was concerned of the people that might be around, as well as the heaviness of the secret affair of her princess might be known, she couldn’t give herself some courage to say it out loud.

Words stuck in her throat, thinking what to do in this situation.

“Y, your majesty! I… I apologize, I can’t say it unless it’s the princess!”

“What’s wrong?”

Even though the demon king asked twice, the demon girl acted like she was hiding something.

When he realized, she was already sweating. Now he asked seriously.

“Tell me little girl, who sent a message? And what is the message?”

“Y, your Majesty! Please, somehow, forgive me, anything but that!”

“Are you saying that you can’t speak of it?”

“Yes… unfortunately, it’s as your Majesty said…”

“Why?”

“That too, I can’t speak of it, I beg for forgiveness.”

“Mu…”

Upon seeing that persistent attitude, the demon king could only groan.

The little demon girl decided, even if she was killed, she won’t say anything that would make the demon princess reputation to be tainted.

She knows how scandalous it was for a demon princess to have a secret affair with someone from a different race, a human nonetheless.

The demon girl used all of her to decline while prostrating.

She just couldn’t bear to waste the effort her princess went through just to hide her secret and love. Although she knew how dangerous it is, she could only watch and support the love between the human she met and her beloved demon princess.

… Although her courage is somewhat praiseworthy, however actually it was all in vain.

Much less affair, the demon princess and Hein have even only met once.

A pity she didn’t know that and whole-heartedly believe Hein’s little mischievous lie.

“… Why can’t you talk?”

“….”

The little demon girl didn’t answer, she only hung her head down.

The demon king looked at her carefully while thinking about why she refused to talk.

Is it something related to my daughter somehow? She didn’t want to hurt my daughter? Or maybe…

With nothing he could do, the demon king dispatched a servant to call her daughter.

———————-

At about the same time as the little demon girl met the demon king, the demon king’s beloved daughter; Aster Lucifer was gazing at the sky filled with numerous twinkling gem-like stars.

What have just begun without their knowing?

Demon God revival and the existence of the [World Jumpers] that came from another world.

Not to mention the appearance of a monster in human skin, that boy who held an unknown mysterious power that could shake the whole continent… even the whole world.

What would happen to the world?

No one knows… even her can’t predict it.

Why did the world become something like this?

Can’t people understand each other despite their differences?

Aster had a clouded expression as she gazed at the beautiful stars.

… Although we live under such peaceful and beautiful stars. Why does people can’t settle their own hatred and differences to the point that they don’t only hurt others but also themselves?

Can’t they understand that we are all the same, living desperately?

Because it was too cold during the night, her breath came out as a white mist.

“Haaa~… we have the same sky, the same air, the same earth.

Humans, beastmen, demons and other races, we all live in this world… how come no one realizes that we have many similarities?

If instead of looking what’s different, why can we just look at what’s similar?

… If there was someone unbiased against races, someone who could end this million years of endless cycle of hatred and revenge ….”

Did someone like that… really exist?

A man that could cut away the chains called [ Pain ] binding this world ?

Even so, if one asked her that question, even if there’s none she will still struggle to make a better world for her people. That is her duty as a royalty.

But could she do that?

When that question floated in her mind, she would always feel a dark feeling breaking out from inside her.

“Why… am I powerless?…

I can’t even save my own people.”

Aster muttered with trembling lips.

These words were like sharp cuts in her small fragile heart.

She heard some information that some human kingdoms have finally made their move and began preparing.

Whenever she thought about the humans advancing in this place, mindlessly killing her own people and enslaving some, her heart would always feel dreadful and bleed.

A whole kingdom, thousands of lives depended on her and her father.

These things were always like a large mountain bearing down not only his father’s back but also at her own young body to bear the weight.

She was too tired!

She needed someone to help her…

If she could, she wanted to yell out for help.

But she could not allow herself to do that. She must stand strong!

As she closed her eyes to force back the accumulated tears in her eyes, the face of a certain boy floated up in the back of her mind.

That unknown boy had an unknown power that can be deemed monstrous.

Aster believe that, that monstrous boy was strong enough that without bluffing, could honestly write a different history to his liking.

However, he certainly held great power yet he acted as if he was not proud as he treated someone like her equally and without discrimination.

If Aster steeled herself and asked shamelessly his help, would he have stood up for her?

Although nothing to back it up, Aster was sure he might. No, he would have!

She had a feeling that, that boy could do what she could not and would never imagined.

But she also felt it would be cowardly and shameless to ask him to help her.

He wasn’t related to her, no relationship whatsoever.

These are her own and her family’s problems.

Could she really ask him his help shamelessly? She didn’t think so.

“… Help me.”

That was why Aster let out that voice in that place where it would reach no one.

Her frightened, wounded and tattered voice merely disappeared into darkness.

“Help me…”

Those cry that would reach no one spilled uncontrollably from her mouth.

… And then she heard a footstep.

“….”

A palace demon maid came in to call her to the throne room, but when she saw Aster was deep in her thoughts, she dared not disturb and just stood on the side, waiting. After a long time, she heard a soft unclear voice.

There was something glistening on the side of her eyes.

The princess… is crying?

The strong willed demon princess who everyone admired was now in tears?

The demon maid’s heart was suddenly filled with sympathy.

Only people close to the princess like her would know how hard things have been for her all these years. But she was only a lowly servant and can’t do anything for her to ease her pain, her sufferings.

“What do you want?”

“Princess, your majesty asks for your presence in the throne hall. A messenger came carrying some message that only you can hear.”

“Message?”