--I thought it would be something like this.

　The Fourth War of Heroes and Demons.
　The fourth war between the heroes and the Demon Lord.

　The Demon Lord is a dark king who only wants to destroy humanity.
　And the heroes are the heroes born to defeat and destroy the Demon King.

　The human race has sent heroes and their friends to fight the Demon King and his army. This is a war without mercy. Needless to say, many people were caught up in the clash between the two sides. The bloody conflict seemed to go on forever, but now, ten years later, it is finally coming to an end.

　--I don't feel it.

　Surrounded by the burning flames and crumbling rubble, I felt a sense of desolation.

　I'm sure of it.
　The war will be over in less than a few minutes.
　By now, the heroes should be waging a fierce battle against the Demon King.

　And I've finished my last job.

So this is the Demon Lord's heart.

　I look at the black organ pulsating in my palm.
　It feels warm to the touch, and according to my boss, it's the Demon Lord's heart. I don't know what kind of principle is used to separate it from the body, but for now it is wriggling healthily.

"If I destroy it, the Demon Lord will die, right?

　I posed that question to the being crouched at my feet.

"...... Oh, yes.

　I'm not sure if you've ever heard of this.

　It seems that the Demon Lord of the past was of a cautious nature.
　Unlike humans, the Demon Lord will not die no matter how he is injured as long as his heart is not destroyed. Therefore, the Demon Lord prepared for the coming final battle by storing the heart in a different place. The current Demon Lord, even if his limbs are cut up by the heroes, can revive immediately if the heart stored in another place is safe.

　That's why the mission was given to me.

　So I was given a mission. While the heroes were fighting the Demon Lord, I was to take the Demon Lord's heart that was stored in another location and destroy it.

I never thought I would be killed by someone other than a brave man.

　A voice called out to me from near my feet.
　This man is a demon who was guarding the Demon Lord's heart - in other words, a subordinate of the Demon Lord.

　This man was the biggest obstacle in taking away the heart.
　As the protector of the Demon Lord's weakness, he was stronger than any demon I had ever fought. After a fierce battle in which the whole area was burned to the ground and all the buildings collapsed, we finally won.

　Looking at the results, it was an overwhelming victory.

　This man, a demon, had been pierced through the heart and had been coughing up blood since a while ago. I, on the other hand, had no noticeable external injuries. I still have the strength to move with all my might for one more fight.

The heroes are busy defeating the Demon Lord. The heroes are busy defeating the Demon Lord. I'm enough on my own to take on a mere demon.

　When I answered that, the demon snickered.

Don't take a joke with sarcasm. You're aware of that, aren't you?　The Demon Lord of our time is weak. In this war, we, the demons, were stronger than the Demon Lord. ...... A hero who has his hands full with the Demon Lord can't possibly kill me. I've always thought that if anyone was going to kill me, it would have to be you.

　He frowned at the witch's words.

You've never met me before, but you know me?

Of course. Of course not. I knew you at the beginning of the war. There's not a single one of us demons in this world who doesn't know you. I'm sure you're not the only one. It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has a problem with this. ...... The only thing that you should really be wary of is that it was you and not the hero from the start.

　The demon's skin peeled off in tatters.
　The bones and flesh inside the body turn to sand. The bones and flesh inside turned to sand. This is the scene of a demon dying.

"Farewell, hero of the shadows. I am honored to have been buried by your hand and not by a hero's.

　With those words, the demon's body dissipated into dust.
　The demon probably admired me. But that's something I shouldn't take.

　With a crunch.
　I crushed the Demon Lord's heart.

　Now the Demon Lord is dead.
　The war should be over.

So much for that.

　It's been exactly ten years since the war ended.
　It seems long, but it's short.

　But I suppose that's understandable.
　The place where I stand is not in the limelight. This is backstage, and the frontstage is elsewhere.

　Take a strip of thin paper from your pocket and press the center of it with your finger.
　Holding the faintly glowing paper close to my mouth, I begin to speak.

"Mission accomplished. The Demon Lord's heart has been destroyed.

Copy that. The Demon Lord is confirmed dead. Return to base immediately. Don't let the heroes near ...... know you're here. You're not supposed to be in that war zone.



I know. ...... It was the hero who defeated the Demon King. I'm not going to cloud that fact.

"Good point.

　I cut the communication and left the place.

　I don't feel like I'm saving humanity in the slightest.
　I'm just doing the job I've been given.

　For as long as I can remember, I've been a member of the Agency, and I was raised to be a soldier who obeys orders.
　He was raised to be a soldier who obeys orders. The agency was prepared only to win the Great War. There, I was raised as a tool only to win the war.

　That war is now over.
　The last job I've been given will be finished.

　How am I to live from now on?