So, it was really true—the cloak Valkira gave me hid my presence perfectly. I'd thought she might be lying, but no… they were completely serious about letting me escape.
Still, as I walked away, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Verixa. She was just a child, after all. Being born a demon wasn't her fault.
But… even if I wanted to help, what could I do? If all the strongest generals died and the Demon Queen herself fell, this place was already doomed. I was just an ordinary human. There was absolutely no chance I could change that outcome.
"And after all… they are demons," I muttered to myself, trying to harden my heart.
I followed the map Valkira had given me, navigating the twisting pathways. "So, this is the exit of the demon city. Finally, I can escape from here easily."
The path led me straight into a deep, oppressive forest. Valkira had warned me about it earlier—the "Dark Forest," created by the demons generations ago as a natural defense barrier.
As I walked, I noticed several slimes slithering across the damp ground.
"Well… as I checked before, I'm definitely not some genius magician," I mused, looking down at my hands. "Maybe my physical abilities got enhanced instead? Guess I should test it."
Steeling my resolve, I charged forward with the knife Valkira had given me and slashed a slime clean in half. Or so I thought.
The truth was… the monster had been cut down by some invisible force before my blade could even touch its translucent skin.
I stared blankly at the dagger in my hand. "Was that… Verixa's magic? Not me?"
I sighed heavily, the brief spark of hope vanishing. "So my physical strength is still as useless as it was in my previous world. Maybe she really did summon me by mistake. No cheat skills, no secret powers…"
Still grumbling to myself, I eventually cleared the thick treeline and reached a high cliff. From that vantage point, my heart instantly dropped. A massive battalion of human soldiers was marching in tight formation, heading straight toward the demon city.
"So it's true… They're going to wipe out every last demon. I should just leave right now and head to the nearest human village."
I turned away, trying to convince my legs to move on. But Valkira's parting words echoed relentlessly in my mind: 'Verixa will be publicly executed… as a symbol of the end of the demon race.'
My steps faltered. My legs began to tremble. And before I fully realized what I was doing, I wasn't running toward safety—I was sprinting full speed back into the Dark Forest, heading straight toward the demon city.
Relief washed over me when I saw that the human army hadn't breached the perimeter yet. I sprinted through the streets and hurried to the castle.
At the entrance, Valkira stood on absolute high alert. She clearly sensed a disturbance in the air, but because of the artifact, she couldn't pinpoint exactly where I was.
"Who's there? I know you're hiding with some kind of item!"
I yanked off the cloak, revealing myself to the guard.
"Human?!" she gasped, her hand flying to her sword hilt. "What are you doing here? You should've reached the human village by now!"
Panting heavily, my lungs burning, I shouted, "Run… The human army… they're coming to attack right now!"
"What did you say?" Valkira's eyes widened in horror.
Then—BOOM!
A massive explosion echoed from the distant city gates, sending thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky.
"We must hurry! Come with me!" she ordered.
We rushed through the castle corridors toward the main hall. Valkira barked frantic orders at the passing guards to hold the outer gates, then slammed the massive hall doors shut behind us.
"Princess! We must escape—the humans have started their attack!"
Verixa stood quietly by the window, watching the smoke rise over her kingdom. Her small frame was visibly trembling, but when she spoke, her voice was surprisingly steady.
"So, the time has finally come… Valkira, maybe you should leave with the others. Save yourself."
"What are you saying!?" Valkira snapped, stepping forward. "We can still—"
"No," Verixa interrupted. Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes as she forced a painful, heartbreaking smile. "If I run, they'll just hunt us to the very end of the world. I don't want anyone else to die because of me."
Valkira froze, lowering her head in silent, heavy acceptance.
I let out a loud, theatrical sigh, breaking the tragic tension.
"First a comedy skit, now a melodrama. Geez… for a kid, you're really dramatic."
Verixa blinked, turning around in shock. "Human?… You didn't go to the village?"
"Hey! First of all, are you saying you didn't notice me standing right here? And second—my name isn't Human. It's Zacken."
I walked over to her, completely ignoring the terrifying atmosphere, and placed my hand gently on hers.
"Don't worry, kid. Being summoned as a hero—whether by a human princess or a demon princess—means it's my job to protect them at any cost."
Her eyes widened, reflecting a tiny glimmer of hope. "Zacken…"
Then, she kicked me in the knee. Hard.
Crack!
"Arghh!" I dropped straight to the floor, clutching my leg in agony. "What the hell was that for?!"
"What are you saying, stupid human? A mere human can't save demons," she huffed, crossing her arms defensively. "If you can't even bear a little pain like that, how can I rely on someone like you?"
"You little—!" I raised my voice to yell back, only for both of us to pause.
A quiet sound echoed through the tense room. We both turned in utter surprise to see Valkira cover her mouth, chuckling.
"What?! This is the first time I've ever seen Valkira smile!" Verixa exclaimed, completely stunned.
Valkira coughed quickly into her fist to hide her amusement and regain her stoic composure.
"So, human—sorry, Zacken. How exactly do you plan to resolve this? From what I can see, you don't look very special at all."
I scratched the back of my head, looking down at the floor in utter embarrassment.
"Well… that's something I still have to figure out."
Verixa sighed, slumping her shoulders. "I really did summon the wrong person."
"Hey!!!" I shouted.