"How is this possible?"
"Why is he still alive?"
Shizuka despairingly clutched my bloodstained hand, while Miyoko and her mom had looks of utter despair in their eyes.
Doraemon had suspected this might happen, but he still found it hard to believe.
They never thought that even at this point, King Demaon hadn't died.
Could even the destructive power of blowing up a planet not kill him?
I knew this was the frustrating part about magic—once you found the method, it could be easy to kill him; a single small Silver Arrow could take down an incredibly powerful Demon King. But if you didn't find the method, even world-destroying force wouldn't scratch him.
Seeing everyone's despairing expressions,
I used the Denkomaru to prop up my exhausted body.
"Nobita, what are you doing?" Shizuka saw my movement and forgot about the Demon King's threat for a moment.
She looked at me nervously, hoping I wouldn't go.
The others noticed my action too and didn't know what to do for a second!
"Nobita, you've done what you needed to! The rest is impossible—just don't go." Miyoko had given up hope of defeating King Demaon; she just wanted me to escape safely with her now.
"Yeah, Miyoko's right. You've done your best! Next, I'll hold him off while you take Miyoko and run! It's about time an adult like me protected you kids instead of the other way around!" Miyoko's mom said fondly, ruffling Miyoko's short hair.
"Mom!" Miyoko cried out in alarm.
"Or let me go!" Doraemon said at that moment.
Suneo and Gian nearby were also noisily insisting on going to fight the Demon King.
"Enough!"
My voice wasn't loud, but it quieted everyone down.
I didn't say anything else; instead, I pulled out two Silver Arrows.
Everyone's faces lit up with joy at the sight.
"Did you think I'd go in unprepared?"
"Only I've fought King Demaon and know his exact combat style."
"So I'm the best one to go!"
Everyone knew my words were true—none of the others here had my level of strength. If they went, it'd just be a matter of two swipes from King Demaon.
"Be careful!" Miyoko came up and gave me a light hug, then whispered something in my ear that only we knew.
"Come back safe, and I'll agree to that thing with Mom!"
With that, Miyoko's pretty face flushed red as she returned to her mother's side.
Seeing this, I couldn't help but feel happy. Looking at Miyoko and her mom with their similar beautiful faces, I thought, Looks like I'll get that oyakodon bowl.
Shizuka saw me get hugged by Miyoko and knew this bad boy had hooked up with another girl.
Her lips pursed a bit, and she felt a sour twinge in her heart.
But she still came forward and hugged me too.
"You bad egg, flirting around again, but you have to come back safe, or I'll hate you forever."
Shizuka said this, but she was still heartbroken over my wounds.
"Okay!"
I hugged this girl who loved me so much, feeling a bit guilty.
Doraemon, Suneo, and Gian wanted to come hug me too, but I pushed them away in one go.
I had no interest in hugs from guys—now, if it were Miyoko's mom, that'd be different.
"Alright, it's time for me to finish what I started!"
"A contract's a contract—I have to fulfill it."
With that, I gripped the bloodstained Denkomaru, and with my exhausted body, I teleported away from the spot.
…
I'd already arrived in the void. There, King Demaon was on a shattered fragment of the planet, his body engulfed in flames, howling in agony.
The Earth Destroying Bomb hadn't completely killed him, but it had dealt him a severe blow.
I focused my gaze: King Demaon had been blasted by the Earth Destroying Bomb until his entire body was exposing white bones!
But his body was still flickering with green light, slowly trying to heal him.
The flames on him were destroying as fast as it healed, severely hindering his recovery speed.
Here in the void, I couldn't see King Demaon's massive external heart anymore, which puzzled me. Then, looking through the white bones in his chest, I understood.
So, King Demaon had put his heart back inside.
Probably because he was afraid such a huge heart would become an easy target!
But now, the heart amid the white bones was no longer as big as a red moon, and it was somewhat damaged.
"Nobi Nobita! It's all because of you—you destroyed my kingdom!" King Demaon's face was partially caved in now, making him look even more terrifying and horrifying.
Threads of green light flickered on his face, trying to heal, but after struggling, they slowly faded.
King Demaon had climbed from a lowly demon of the demon race to Demon King, spending who knows how much time and effort.
But it had all been ruined by the human before him, and even his immortal body was about to be reduced to nothing.
All his efforts and successes had gone up in smoke.
King Demaon glared at me with hatred.
But for me, we were already mortal enemies—the demons ate humans, so me wiping out their entire race in return was fair game.
I didn't want to waste words with him. When dealing with a drowning dog, you beat it hard.
So the battle erupted instantly.
I flash-teleported right up to him, swinging my war blade down in a furious chop at King Demaon.
Seeing this fierce attack coming,
King Demaon roared and tried to block with his already skeletal hands, but as soon as they made contact,
They were sliced clean off by the Denkomaru. Those once incredibly tough claws were cut in two in an instant.
King Demaon looked at his severed hands and tried to cast magic to quickly heal his body.
But I wasn't giving him that chance. After cutting off his claws, I followed up by chopping off his arms entirely.
Then, with a low bend, I gripped the Denkomaru, shifted my stance, and made a powerful horizontal slash, severing King Demaon's legs next.
After the Denkomaru's glow passed, his two withered legs detached from his body in a spray of blood and thudded heavily to the ground.
King Demaon was like a human torso now, legless and forced to kneel, but his spine remained straight.
He glared at me with rage.
Even at the end of his life, his dignity as a king wouldn't allow him to bow to an enemy.
But I didn't stop there. After reducing his threat, I pulled out the Silver Arrow.
Gripping the Silver Arrow, I thrust it heavily toward King Demaon's heart.
This time, it shouldn't miss, I thought.
As the Silver Arrow pierced his heart, King Demaon let out a shrill cry of pain.
"No!"
King Demaon's body erupted in white light, then began to crack apart, but even then, he still tried to struggle.
I drew the Denkomaru, and in a flash teleport, the yellow blade light swept across King Demaon's neck.
King Demaon's head was severed by me once again.
And just like that, King Demaon finally stopped struggling.
His headless body and fallen head turned to ashes in a burst of intense white light.
I flicked the blood off the Denkomaru and sheathed it at my waist.
With that,
The Demon King has been defeated!