Transformed into Cosmic Horror in a Sci-Fi Universe

“Oh, Hero Rain. You have returned.”

Rain first sought out the king of the As Kingdom, the human he found easiest to communicate with and to whose kingdom he belonged.

The one who always believed in him and supported him.

A father figure to Rain, who grew up as an orphan.

He decided to first tell him about what happened with the Demon Lord and seek his counsel.

Of course, he didn’t tell him everything.

After all, the king wouldn’t believe in the existence of outer beings and such.

He simply said that the Demon Lord wanted peace and wished to fight no more.

“If that’s the case, they could just return to the demon realm. Why don’t they?”

A natural question.

In fact, Rain had harbored the same doubt and asked the Demon Lord before.

But the answer he received was:

‘The demon realm is barren. With the current demon population, there’s an absolute shortage of food. That’s why we need the bountiful lands of the surface. This part is unavoidable… In exchange, we’ll give whatever we can.’

Even the barren lands of the north are said to be bountiful compared to the demon realm for the demon race.

Just having crops that can be eaten and beasts that can be hunted is extremely rare in the demon realm, they say.

To begin with, because their required intake is extremely low compared to humans, even the food produced in the north is said to be sufficient.

‘If even demons with such low needs suffer from food shortages, what kind of place must the demon realm be?’

Anyway, when he spoke about this, the king thought for a moment and then shook his head.

“Even if I were to agree, the rulers of other countries wouldn’t stand idly by. Especially those in the north who would have to share borders with the demon race.”

When the war ends, support from other countries will also stop.

Yet, they still have to maintain borders with the demon race, so the tension remains.

Although manpower won’t be consumed as much as during wartime, the situation can’t be said to have improved from now.

And it’s the same for other countries too.

When the human-demon war, where humanity is united in fighting, ends, they will once again turn their swords on each other.

The war that was mostly left to the northern countries could become their own problem as soon as tomorrow.

The only ones who would welcome this are probably the arms merchants.

“I don’t think I can help with this matter. I’m sorry, Hero.”

The king of As sincerely apologized and even bowed his head.

“Ah, no, Your Majesty. I knew it wouldn’t be possible. I just mentioned it on the off chance.”

It seems difficult after all.

The hero thought so.

But he didn’t give up hope.

He decided to use his position as the hero to try and persuade other rulers directly.

“Don’t speak such nonsense!!”

“Well, well, we sent him as a hero, but it seems he’s been bewitched by the Demon Lord!”

“Are you saying you’ll betray humanity now?!”

Of course, the reactions of the human rulers were intense.

Some even went as far as to say that Hero Rain, who brought this story, should be branded a traitor and executed.

At least the king of As Kingdom, due to his close relationship with Rain, listened to the story seriously. But the rulers of other countries didn’t even try to listen in detail.

They just heard the word ‘reconciliation with the demon race’ and went into fits, shouting that it was impossible.

There are probably political and economic reasons too.

But it’s also likely due to the deeply ingrained image of the demon race itself.

After saying all that, they probably think that these beings, far more powerful than humanity, might attack again at any time.

They want to nip it in the bud, that’s probably their thinking.

“Sigh…”

Hero Rain let out a deep sigh.

If only there was a way to change the image of the demon race somehow.

Then they might at least listen.

Then he could explain what benefits could come from reconciliation with the demon race.

It seemed he had no choice but to return to the Demon Lord with this disappointing news.

#

“I see. It’s difficult after all, isn’t it?”

“It seems there’s a deep-rooted resentment and distrust towards the demon race.”

Demon Lord Tureglo lowered her head regretfully at the news Hero Rain brought.

But it was as she had expected.

She had sent the hero hoping that maybe things would work out easily.

“Is there no way to change the image of the demon race?”

“There’s nothing else but to end the war and return…”

“Then the human nations would fall into chaos.”

A sudden end to the war.

Now that many people make their living from the war, they can’t carelessly end it for fear that humanity might become even more destitute due to the winds of change it would bring.

“For now, we need to reach a stalemate, and somehow show them that the demon race can be beneficial to them.”

“If there’s anything I can do to help, I will. Anything.”

Hero Rain said this with a serious expression, and Demon Lord Tureglo smiled gently upon seeing it.

“Thank you. I’m so glad you’re cooperating. If I were alone, I wouldn’t have even thought about it and would have just returned to the demon realm.”

The beautiful Demon Lord smiling gently.

Hero Rain unknowingly blushed and turned his head away.

“…Ahem.”

And seeing this, the Demon Lord also became somewhat embarrassed, blushing and averting her gaze here and there.

Just as the atmosphere was about to become awkward.

“Demon Lord, I have something to report…”

“Oh, oh! Yes. Let’s go quickly.”

A subordinate demon came, and Tureglo used it as an excuse to hastily leave the awkward situation.

‘W-why am I like this? Surely I’m not developing feelings for the hero who’s helping me as an ally….’

‘Oh really… Why is he so handsome and all?’

Both of them trying hard to hide their embarrassed feelings, and so that day passed.

#

For now, the hero had declared that he would go to defeat the Demon Lord again, so he decided to stay in the Demon Lord’s castle.

After all, he had been branded a traitor, so he had no choice but to say that.

He felt a bit uncomfortable thinking that he had lied.

‘But I have to endure it. This is all for the true peace of this world.’

The creator of this world.

The being that moves the chess pieces called himself and the Demon Lord.

To escape from its grasp, one must make it impossible to play the chess game itself.

‘Black and white pieces. But if they all turn gray, even if you want to play the game, you can’t.’

However, the process of turning them gray is not easy.

Pure white can be easily stained gray just by painting it, but black that has already been dyed pitch-dark must have that paint stripped off to become gray.

It’s easy to paint, but hard to strip off.

‘How ironic. The humans who believe themselves to be good were actually the impure black.’

Politics, economy, personal interests, prejudices….

It was humans, not demons, who had been painted countless times with such things and turned pitch-black.

Rather, it is the demons who are pure white, starting wars to secure their food, purely believing in strength and unconditionally following the Demon Lord as the one absolute being they gather around.

Of course, they may not be completely pure white, but they are close to it.

‘It would be nice if humans could purely believe in and follow just one thing like demons do.’

They do believe and move only for what benefits them, but prejudices and political reasons get in the way and hinder them.

Humans are beings full of such impurities.

‘…When one war ends, they start another. For true peace, perhaps humanity itself needs to disappear?’

For a moment he had such a thought, but Rain quickly shook his head.

“What am I thinking…”

To think that he, the protector of humanity, was considering the extinction of humanity.

Realizing how absurd it was, he hit his own head once.

“I must be crazy, really. Is it because I’m in the Demon Lord’s castle?”

He tried hard to erase that thought from his mind, but once started, the thought wouldn’t stop.

He even began to think that maybe it was the most efficient and sure way.

As he tossed and turned with these disrespectful thoughts, he fell asleep.

And he dreamed.

In the dream, there was the massive figure he had seen before.

Yad-Thaddag.

The outside being that had revealed the truth of this world to them.

Maybe because it was a dream this time, he didn’t feel the throbbing headache when looking at it.

Was it because it was an imaginary being in a dream?

Or…

Anyway, it spoke to the hero.

[ Carry out your will. You are the ‘Guardian of Peace’ created by the will of the universe. The peace you envision is the peace the world desires. ]

“……”To those words, the hero asked back.

“But I’m wondering if the things I’m supposed to protect might actually be unnecessary, if it might be right to eliminate them. Is that really the peace the world wants?”

At his question, the giant’s red eyes flashed brightly.

Though it clearly only had eyes and couldn’t possibly have an expression.

For some reason, it seemed to be grinning.

[ Your will is the will of the universe. Go in the direction you think is most right. If it’s difficult to decide alone, it wouldn’t be bad to seek advice from someone you trust. ]

“…Someone I trust.”

At those words, for some reason, the hero thought of Demon Lord Tureglo.

A being who shares the same truth about the world and sincerely desires peace for the world.

And, a beautiful and lovely woman.

‘That’s right, I don’t need to decide alone. She, who desires peace, will judge whether my thoughts are truly right.’

Hero Rain thought this in his dream, and then woke up.