Two armies now faced each other. On one side is the army of the united alliance, led by the Hero Hans, and on the other, the demon army.

The abyss King Ermengarde who sat on the goddess with a look of Ecstasy on her face spoke, “Welcome back, Hero Hans Varma Saifuddien. Do you like what I have done with the place?”

The once white walls of Saifuddien have been stained a bloody red. The stench of death and decay was in the air. This place, which was once filled with joy and laughter was now nothing more than a hellish sight.

Ermengarde's words could be heard by all as she had cast a spell that amplified her voice. 

“Pay her no mind Hans. She is just trying to get under your skin.” Euphemia remarked.

“Lady Euphemia is right. Mind games are often used in warfare… We have to stay on our toes against such things.” General David added

“I am sure the Hero has taken that into account, General. We only need to support him.” Bishop Martin said

“I agree with the Bishop… Hans… Please give the order to attack.” Euphemia

“Ho my… How uncivilized… Aren’t you at least going to attempt to negotiate with me?” Ermengarde asked with a smirk.

It seemed that she could also hear them despite the distance between them. Something that made Bishop Martin wary.

“Why would we negotiate with an ugly demon like you?”

“Euphemia!” Hans angry called out her name.

“Eh?”

“As David said, we should be careful of mind games.” He said after calming himself.

“Umm… Sorry…” Euphemia replied. She didn’t understand why he angrily called out her name but she didn’t question it either, unlike Siraye.

“Why did he get angrily all of the sudden?” she uttered

“Hmm…” her father replied

“There is something you are hiding from me.”

“What makes you think that?”

“That question you asked me… Hans’s strange behavior… What is going on?”

“There is no point in me telling you when it is about to be reviled.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Keep watching…”

Siraye turned her head back towards Hans, ‘Where is he going?’

“Hans!” Euphemia called out to him

“Wait here… I will approach her on my own,” he replied

“Wait… We never agreed to this.” General David objected

“Leave him be…” Bishop Martin uttered

“Do you know something that we don’t?”

“No… But perhaps…”

“Perhaps what?” The general inquired

“It’s nothing… Just be read to support Hans.”

“Tch!”

‘If I say it aloud, I might destroy his plans. Hans… You want to get close to the demon to free the goddess, right? I will have faith in you.’

“Ho… You have the bravery to come towards me alone?” Ermengarde uttered

“You asked for negotiations… I am here to negotiate.”

“Did I? Hmm… I don’t believe that I did.”

“Don’t toy with Hans, you demonic bitch…” Euphemia screamed 

“Lady Euphemia, calm yourself!” Bishop Martin reprimanded

“Ugh… Tch…”

Ermengarde simply laughed at the situation. “What an interesting person you have there. Is she someone special to you?”

Hans didn’t answer. A disturbing silence followed before Euphemia called out his name in a worried tone, “Hans?”

Ermengarde simply snickered before speaking, “Ah… I remember now… Yes… Negotiations… Hero Hans, swear your loyalty to me and the demon king. Do that, and I will grant you power.”

“What the hell are you saying?” Euphemia screamed, “Hans is the hero who will save us all from you demons.”

“Is that true? Hans?” Ermengarde  asked before casting the same voice amplification spell on him

“It is not…”

His reply shocked Euphemia.

“Hans… What are you saying?” Euphemia asked

Hans turned around and faced her and everyone else. His expression morphed and turned into something hideous. Half-human, half something else.

“Hans!”

“Kukuku… Looks like the time has come.” His clear voice was gone and a sickening voice now spoke.

“What is this? Bishop!?” General David screamed

“I don’t know… I have never seen anything like this…”

“Perhaps he has been possessed… Cast some holy magic on him.”

“Alright, < Holy Purification >”

Hans was hit by Holy Purification, However…

“Impossible… It had no effect.” Bishop Martin uttered in shock

“Isn’t that to be expected? He is not being possessed after all.” Ermengarde explained.

“Then what is going on. Hans… Why are you acting like this?” Louise screamed 

Both Louise and Euphemia had pale complexions. They couldn’t understand what was happening. Siraye on the other had an idea. 

“Father… You knew?”

Her father uttered no words, his silence said it all.

 “Answer me, Hans!” Louise angrily asked,

“When we demons first invaded the kingdom of Saifuddien. I found a young boy barely latching on to life in the castle dungeons. That boy is the hero who stands before you…”

“What!?” 

Everyone was in utter shock at what Ermengarde had just explained.

“Kukuku… It’s true. It was not well known but in a family of overachievers, I was the black sheep. My mother, who should have loved me no matter what was disgusted by my very presence. No matter how hard I tried, it was never enough… She would scold me, beat me, and curse my very existence. In the end, she imprisoned me in the dungeon.” He began to explain. “I thought it would be for a short time, but days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months. Eventually, even the guards forgot my existence. I was alone… until Ermengarde-sama saved me. She was the only one who came for me, who reached out her hand to save me.”

“Hans… You are being deceived. I don’t what she did to you but…” Euphemia uttered, before Hans interrupted, “Your wrong Euphemia… I am not being deceived. In fact, for the first time in my life, I see clearly. I finally know why I was born… why I never allowed that cold dungeon to take my life. It was to fulfill Ermengarde’s greatest wish.”

“Wish?”

“To become a Hero…”

Everyone was puzzled by what he just said. Ermengarde saw this and was delighted by the expressions they all had. 

“You truly are foolish creatures. Hans is indeed a hero… My hero!” She replied with a devilish smile on her face.