The dark aura from the summoning altar spread throughout the hall, thick with the remnants of magic. The air was still hot, but now it was mixed with rumors that crept like whispering snakes.
The lower-level demons who had witnessed the ritual's majesty now whispered among themselves, their diverse eyes-from fiery red to pitch black, fixed on a single point: the regal figure standing at the center of the altar.
The rumbling whispers sounded faint at first, a collection of indistinct murmurs from every corner. They watched as the corpse of the previous demon king vanished without a trace, fully absorbed as a condition for summoning the new Demon King.
The purplish-black fog from the ritual began to thin, revealing his true form, still laughing where the previous king had lain.
The laughter, once used as a shield, now echoed freely in the awkward silence. The rumbling whispers grew clearer, and Elvar could begin to catch their words.
"Look, that's our new demon king."
"Is that really our king?" "His form is like a human's."
"But from his aura and appearance, he truly looks like a Demon King."
"Look at his cloak, so elegant." "Yes, and his mask is captivating too. The very image of a king."
"Why is he wearing a mask?"
"He has three horns… that's more than a regular demon king."
"An ancestor of the demon kings?"
"But why does he have a human form? Is his face also human behind that mask?"
"Maybe he's of Noble Demon lineage."
"That's right, that lineage does have a human form."
"Yes, I agree. But why doesn't he seem to have a tail? Is he hiding it?"
"Someone, speak up! Ask him directly!"
My loud and (hopefully) intimidating laughter seems to have worked. At least for now. None of the demons talking about me dared to step forward to question their doubts.
Me, Elvar, summoned here by a simple misinterpretation of dimensional status, a response to their call during my little act. I didn't realize it then.
And you know what? If I wasn't wearing this red mask, my legs would probably be shaking violently and I would've pissed myself out of fear.
I was beginning to realize. This mask I'm wearing acts as a physical suppressor for fear. The side effects that should affect my body, like trembling, a choked voice, cold sweat, all of it disappeared. My body remains calm.
To this moment, I was still laughing loudly like a madman. Why? Because I genuinely had no idea what to do in front of them, these terrifying demons surrounding me.
"Calm down, calm down. There has to be a way out of this", I muttered inwardly. I could clearly hear their whispers, now focused on my human-like posture. It became increasingly clear that if I admitted I was human, I'd be killed on the spot.
I consciously slowed my laughter to a halt. I decided to try and ask one of the demons nearby. My choice fell on the only demon whose body most resembled mine.
She was a woman, and clearly beautiful. Her hair was jet black, waist-length. She had no horns, but she had a classic demon tail like in the fantasy comics I'd read - slender, long, with a sharp, heart-shaped tip.
My laughter stopped perfectly. Strangely, it didn't seem awkward to them.
My body was still erect, my arms still folded, and my cloak swayed slightly from the residual magic of the summoning. The entire hall fell silent.
"It's time. I have to speak to ask where I am," I thought. I turned toward the black-haired demon woman. However, before I could ask my question, a beast-like creature resembling a giant bull stood up. Its large muscles bulged even from under its leather armor. On its back, two weapons that looked like giant battle-axes were sheathed. He raised a hand, stood tall, and then bowed his head deeply toward me.
"O King who has answered our call," his voice was deep and hoarse, like grinding stones. "Allow me to ask you a presumptuous question. Why do you use such a form? Are you… a human?"
"HAHAHA!"
Heh? Why am I laughing again? Ah, good. This gives me some space to think while laughing.
"Damn, damn, damn! I knew I'd hear that question sooner or later, but not this soon!" I grumbled.
Ah, I have an idea. But this is very risky. What if they really kill me? Ah, whatever. I'll just face it. Don't think about the risks. Maybe this is my fate if I have to die here.
My laughter subsided, replaced by a feigned, cold tone. "HAHAHA… That form? You mean this body?" I pointed at myself with my chin, an arrogant gesture I remembered from a movie.
The bull-demon nodded slightly, confirming his question.
"This body form allows me to move faster, it makes it easier for me to do what I want," I said, trying my best to keep my voice from trembling. "Will this be a problem for you all? If so, come here. Kill me if you can, because it is my wish to use a form like this!" I challenged with a very firm tone.
The effect of this mask is incredible. It truly suppresses my fear, making my voice sound deep, authoritative, and firm, without any of the doubt or terror I was actually feeling.
Strangely, my acting is also incredibly cool. I realize that. But behind all this, my mind is racing everywhere, desperate.
"I'm dead, I'm dead. Damn, why did I challenge them? What if they don't accept it and kill me? Ah, what's done is done," I thought in terror.
The bull-demon was silent for a moment, then bowed his head even deeper. "Very well, my King. That is not a problem. Forgive my foolish question." He then sat back down, not daring to look at me again.
Heh? He believed it? This is a miracle! Phew… I'm safe.
So, what now? Oh, right. I need to ask why I'm here and why they think I'm their king.
The hall fell silent again. All eyes were focused on me. I turned my gaze back to the demon woman to ask what had happened.
"Hey, you, the woman in front," my voice came out firm as I pointed at her, my other hand on my hip. "What is this place? Why did you summon me here?"
"Waaaah, crazy! My question sounds so cool! I sound so brave and daring. Pointing at her like that, I really feel like the commander of an army, " I thought, impressed with myself. My chaotic mind, a mess of fear, excitement, and confusion, was momentarily distracted by how good my performance was.
The woman I pointed at flinched slightly, then raised her head. Her amethyst-colored eyes looked at me calmly. She stepped forward and knelt on one knee.
"My great Lord, Demon King from a world unknown. Forgive us for summoning you so suddenly. I will briefly explain why we called you to this kingdom," she said with clear respect in her voice.
"Alright, explain now," I said.
Just before the demon woman could begin, the rumbling whispers started up again from all over. I didn't know what they were talking about, but I felt really uncomfortable hearing it.
"Even during such an important ritual, they have no etiquette. This is a ritual, right? Why are they so noisy? Shouldn't all rituals be done with focus? And they call me their king, but it feels like I'm worthless and disrespected", I grumbled.
"I feel like, if I really were to become a demon king, I couldn't do this. Hey, I'm just an ordinary guy who's never even been in a fight with a classmate. I'm just an architecture student who knows nothing about politics, let alone a kingdom," I thought. I'm not capable of leading as a King.
And in that moment, a crazy idea popped into my head. Maybe… by yelling at them, I could make them hate me. Maybe they would cancel my coronation as the demon king and send me back where I came from. I hope so…
I took a deep breath, and then shouted with all my might, my voice firm.
"SILENCE!!! You are all so noisy! I am going to listen to this woman's explanation, so all of you BE QUIET!!"
Silence. Total silence.
Wow, good job, Elvar. They're all quiet. Let's wait for the woman's reaction, I thought, then looked at her again. "Continue."
I hope my actions just now make them hate me and reject my presence.
Not long after, every gaze was fixed on me. There wasn't the slightest sound. The woman before me, whose name was Valeria, began to tell her story.
"My name is Valeria. Previously, I served as the King's advisor. Our King died in a war some time ago against the hero from the continent across the sea, the Continent of Humans," Valeria explained.
"Yes… and?" I replied.
"And now, none of us have the qualifications to become the Demon King, as it requires great power to manage the demons who are defiant, disobedient, and betray all the rules the previous King had established," Valeria continued.
Hey… hey… hey… wait, wait. This is impossible. I can't even fight at all. Are they crazy, summoning me with qualifications like that? I thought in a panic.
"Okay. If that's the case, why did my answer to the call transport me to this world?" The question came from my lips behind the mask, with the firm tone of a demon king questioning his subordinate.
"Because you answered the call with sincerity, my Lord, you were automatically transported to this place," Valeria explained.
"After I was summoned, are you sure you want to make me your king?" I asked her in return.
"I am sure, my Lord. And I will ensure that the others will also respect you as a king should be respected," Valeria explained, her voice soft yet firm.
"With an appearance like this, are you all sure you want to consider me your Demon King?" I looked at her, then turned my gaze around the hall, indicating I was asking everyone there.
One of the horned, snake-like demons in the right corner shouted, "I AGREE!" Similar answers echoed from other demons in other corners.
I pointed at the snake-like demon. "What is your reason for accepting my appearance as your demon king?" I asked him.
"From your appearance, my Lord, the three-horned mask is like a relic of the great Demon King Ancestor. The authoritative cloak and elegant clothes signify that you are indeed a Demon King from another world," the demon explained.
"I can just imagine, if I had been summoned in my normal clothes, I would have been killed without mercy," I thought.
Not long after hearing the rumble of hundreds of demons agreeing, one of the demon soldiers standing in the front row, wearing a steel helmet and full armor and holding a long spear, stood up and shouted.
"I DISAGREE!" his voice boomed. "A form like that is not fit to lead Demons! A disgusting human form is not worthy of being a demon king! Just send him back to his world or throw him into some useless, forgotten place!!" he said firmly. Several other soldiers who supported him also stood up to reject me.
Good! Good! Stand up, everyone, come on! Reject me, reject me! So I can get out of this hell! I swear, I feel so uncomfortable in this environment. This is terrifying.