01x01 - My Next Interview's at the Demon Queen's Palace!

[bunniefuu]

Hey, do you hear me?

Don't push yourself too hard!

If this is too painful for you,
you can just leave everything and run!

It's your life, after all.
You should live it as you please!

Right.

Who'd have thought...

I would ever come here again.

Come in.

There they are.

Demon Queen Echidna

and her Four Generals.

It will all be fine.

They don't know my true identity yet.

Not yet.

I have to get closer.

Closer.

I'm the former hero, Leo Demonheart!

I've come to interview
for a position in the Demon Army!

I'm excellent at swordsmanship,
black magic, holy magic

and many other skills.

My experience includes defeating
Demon Queen Echidna one-on-one!

I can immediately be of use to your army!

I am aware of the dire situation you face.

You are short on soldiers

and are surely struggling
to maintain your forces.

I know this because I'm the one
who drove you into that state!

But let's forget about the past!

We should focus on the future now.

Let's take steps
toward a brighter tomorrow!

Together, we can exterminate
the foolish humans

and build a demon kingdom
that lasts for a millennium.

I volunteer to join the new demon army!

I did it.

She'll definitely hire me.

Of course I won't hire you, you fool!

If you take me in,

I'll strengthen your forces...

I will make you history's
strongest demon queen.

Shut it!

Of course, the scale of your army

will grow too...

Improved performance, overwhelming growth!

Just die!

I'll even make tea or coffee!

Or clean the toilet!

You'll never see such a bargain...

Plus!

I guess I'd better explain a little.

It started one year ago.

The demon army led by Echidna

attacked the human world without warning.

I was ordered by the king
to take down the demon army

and I departed from the holy city
with elites from different cities.

But while I hate to brag,

I'm quite strong.

As the King's Champion,

I've mastered all sorts of weapons.

I'm also a great magician.

To be honest,
companions only get in my way.

Whether it's priests that don't know
anything but healing magic,

swordsmen that know
nothing about magic whatsoever,

or archers that are basically
useless in close combat...

I was expected to build relationships
with these burdensome people

and defeat our enemies
with the power of friendship.

Every time we changed cities,
we fought about how to divide our rooms.

Are you kidding me?!

While you're wasting your time,

I'll go rescue the world
for the fifth time!

TIPS FOR JOB INTERVIEWS

In the end, I continued traveling alone,

defeated Echidna,

and wiped out
the entire demon army by myself.

You'll never meet a hero stronger than me.

Why the heck would you reject me?

Lord Leo, perhaps that very personality
is the reason for your rejection.

I'm a changed man now.

That's right! He's a changed man!

Lily, keep your voice down.
And no more hopping.

Let's just take him in!

I think it's fine, Mernes.

Lily is happy about the reunion too.

Now that I've had a second look,

you guys really are quite diverse.

If you have something
to say, make it quick.

Were Lady Echidna
to find out that you're here,

she would burn this entire castle down.

We already made it clear
that we weren't interested

and it's only your persistence
that made us give you this time.

You're right.

In that case, I'll begin my presentation.

Presentation?

Yes, I want each of you
to fully understand how strong I am.

What do you mean?

I admit that I have
a bit of a personality problem,

but I was strong enough
to defeat the Four Generals on my own.

That should make up for my shortcomings.

I would like all of you
to know how each was defeated,

as a case study of what I can do.

What?

I see.

Leo, you were indeed strong in battle.

It's not every day that I'm defeated

in a head-on confrontation.

This is no laughing matter!

No...

there's nothing more fun than crossing
swords with a worthy opponent.

Right, Leo?

He was the first of the four to fight me.

The swordsman known as "The Red Roar,"

Dragon General Edvard.

In terms of his stats,

he was probably the most powerful.

As one of the dragon men,
the scales that cover his body

were absurdly hard to pierce.

If I had fought only with a sword,
who knows what would have happened.

But he's also an idiot who prefers
to battle his opponents face to face.

Were he not so stuck in warrior mode,
I would have had a hard time fighting him.

That hits the spot!

By the way,

why do you serve under Echidna
in the first place?

You're powerful enough to strive
for world domination yourself.

Why, huh?

I've never given it much thought,

but I suppose being a mere swordsman

and having the opportunity to fight
strong opponents suits me better.

Besides,

being a king keeps you busy.

I'd hate to lose conversation
time with my daughter, Julietta.

That would be awful! Unbearable!

A daughter, huh?

I guess we should feel sorry
for you on that front.

Why's that?

Traveling alone means that

you had no one to pass the time with.

You're the last one I want
to lecture me on that, Mernes.

I seriously doubt you have any friends.

After Edvard, this guy was next.

"The Invisible Blade,"
the Shadowless General Mernes.

Half-human and half-demon, he was raised
as a child prodigy by the assassin guild.

In fact, his ability to erase his presence
and his agility were really impressive.

I might have lost
if it went on for another five minutes,

but I had no intention of engaging
in a battle of speed in the first place.

I focused on defending and casting
the forbidden spell, Crimson Comet.

In the end, I defeated Mernes
and destroyed the guild in the process.

To be honest,

what came afterward
was far more troublesome.

The forbidden spell was too strong

and seemed to have destroyed
the town's cultural artifacts.

What happened after the dispute
with the townspeople?

Didn't they ask for compensation...

What's that? I can't hear you!

What's that? Can't hear a thing!

Lily, come on.

Leo, how was my impression?
Did I sound like you?

After Mernes,

it was her next.

"The Ruthless Fang," Beast General Lily.

We met in the most ridiculous way.

I was sheltering
from the rain under a tree,

and before I knew it, an unknown
girl was standing next to me.

She seemed to have lost her memory,

and with no parents or friends,

I learned she had nowhere else to go.

Even I couldn't leave a kid on their own.

A few days after I began
looking after her,

she recovered her memories and I found
out that she was the Beast General, Lily.

Since she was one of the Four Generals,

there was no reason
to hesitate in defeating her,

and so I did.

Unfortunately, actually.

Afterward, I learned

that for her race,

being defeated by a strong
member of the opposite sex

is considered a fated encounter
with their life partner.

Why did I ever get involved with her?

Hey, let's get married soon!

All right? Let's get married!

Well, after you've grown up.

No, I want to get married now! Now!

Come on...

My final opponent was The Almighty Mage

The Sorcerer General, Steina.

She has a much greater
magical power than the others

and was rumored to know every spell,
ancient, forbidden or otherwise.

Therefore, I used an ancient spell too.

Stasis, a spell that nullified all magic
for the both of us,

and forced her into hand-to-hand combat.

She turned out to be really weak.

After two minutes, she cried mercy.

How pitiful.

I'm a magician!

How am I supposed
to beat a hero in physical combat?

A true professional figures out
a way around stuff like that.

What kind of idiot

would seal away all magic

including defense spells?!

Me, for one.

That does it. What are we even doing here?

Didn't I say I was doing a presentation?

Well, I was curious
how the rest of us were defeated.

It all happened so fast...

That's right.

I wanted to know too!

Even so, Steina, that's a really
pathetic way to go down.

Indeed. I agree.

Poor Steina!

Just cut to the chase!

Why did a hero like you

come to interview with us here?

That is what I really wanted to ask.

Why do you want to join the demon army?

I didn't come
for the fun of it, of course.

I'll tell you everything.

The story of how I, who once challenged
the demon army all on my own,

came at this late hour
to try and switch sides,

and the reasons for it.

After defeating you guys

and emerging victorious
from my battle with Echidna,

I went back to the holy city of Renaie.

But I was met with neither
cheers from the populace,

nor a huge reward from the king.

They looked at me with hostility, fear

-and suspicion.
-Did he really defeat the demon army?

Nothing more.

-He's unhurt. Is he really human?
-We're done for if he attacks!

We're in danger!

Once the flames of fear
and anxiety are lit,

nothing can put them out.

Letters, handouts,
messenger spells, posters...

Rumors that Hero Leo was a threat
spread throughout the city.

We cannot let him walk among us!

Before he tries anything to harm us,
we must k*ll the hero... no that monster!

-That's right.
-k*ll him!

I would become be the next Demon King.

That's what most humans believed.

From the next day, assassins came
to target me left and right.

Even stupidity has its limits!

I defeated the Demon Queen by myself...

How would I lose to a bunch of assassins?

One day, I was finally
summoned by the king.

It's true that we managed
to protect the Wisdom Stone

because of your efforts.

It truly agonizes me to say this.

But as the king, I can't ignore
the voices of my people.

Hero Leo.

As the king,
I order you to leave this nation.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Don't forget!

I believe in you.

Why did I put my life at stake
to protect such a world?

Why did I do battle

with the army of the Demon Queen?

It felt as if nothing mattered anymore.

I had always been a wanderer,

so I had nowhere to return to.

I continued wandering
aimlessly from town to town.

Until one day...

Have you heard the rumors
about the demon army?

You mean about them recruiting?

You think it's true?

Maybe they're
trying to rebuild their forces.

Why bother, after getting
wiped out by the hero?

Pathetic, right? That Demon Queen Echidna.

She must really be a moron.

Echidna...

You got that right.

It won't be long
before she disappears, anyway.

No doubt.

Echidna, huh?

By the way, how's that thing going?

Somehow,

at that moment,

I had the feeling that the only place

where I would be accepted

was the demon army.

I spent all night thinking
about my selling points,

created these presentation materials,

walked through the endless desert

and crossed several steep mountaintops

to reach this place.

If the world wants to k*ll me,

I will k*ll the world first.

That is the reason I want to join you.

Fine, Hero Leo.

The sorrowful hero who obeyed
and protected the wrong people...

I choose to believe

that your motive is sincere.

Thank you, Sorcerer General Steina.

I've managed to overcome
the first obstacle.

However,

you will have a month-long
probationary period.

I will be your supervisor

and observe your work.

You'll have to show results
within the probation period.

And if I fail to do so?

You'll be banished.

I'll do my share of work.

I don't want to go back
to living on the streets.

Also, Lady Echidna mustn't know
that you've joined the demon army.

To keep it a secret,

please use spells or magic items
to hide your identity.

Got it.

Do you have any pressing needs?

First, we must strengthen military power,
fix the castle and purchase weaponry.

Then, it's reducing costs, increasing
benefits, and offering counseling.

Also, maintaining the magical furnaces
and training new soldiers.

Rebuilding an army is hard work! Really!

Not just for Steina!

I've got it tough too!

Lily, stop that hopping.

Recently, I've been assigned
to logi... logisomething...

Anyway, it's that work
where you hand out all kinds of supplies.

It's really hard!

There's so much I have to do!

You can't be serious.

Isn't logistics

the most important...

Yeah! It's the most important task

and it was assigned to me.

I'm amazing, aren't I?

Man, this is worse than I imagined.

That was close!

It's your fault, you know!

All right. Calm down, Steina.

If Leo has decided to join us,

nothing could be more reassuring.

That's true, but...

Fine.

I'm calm. Perfectly calm!

All right.

Let's forget our past grudges.

I'll be counting on you, Lord Leo.

I'll be in your care.

Yes, I'll be in your care too, Edvard.

Lily, too.

Oh, uh Mernes... How's it going?

I'll be in your care.

Hero Leo.

If you can deliver results
during the probation period,

I won't offer you anything petty
like a temporary contract.

The Four Generals will advise the queen

to officially accept you into our ranks.

I won't let you down.

Solving the severe lack of manpower,

accumulating organizational knowhow,

and educating the rank and file...

There are so many things to do.

Rebuilding an army from scratch

is harder than walking a path of thorns.

But that's why I want
to hear directly from Echidna...

To ask her the question
that's haunted me since that day...

What do you think you're doing?

Lady Echidna!

I've given my orders!

Though this is an invasion,

I will not allow unnecessary k*lling!

Invade the land in the way
that brings the least damage!

Avoid unnecessary k*lling...

What compels her to keep fighting, even
after putting her army at a disadvantage?

Why...

hasn't she left the human world,
even after this ordeal?

I would like to talk to you.

It's your life, after all.
You should live it as you please!

Just you watch, Echidna.

I will definitely

join the demon army.

And that's

the story of how I joined the Demon Army.