The maid squad is too strong, what use is there for me, the Demon King?

The Goddess of Holy Light's brief surprise was like a pebble thrown into a lake; the ripples quickly subsided.

He quickly found a reasonable explanation for Gray's "abnormality" and resumed his indifferent, all-encompassing demeanor.

"Occasionally, there are indeed cases where souls from other worlds are reincarnated into this world and retain some memories of their previous lives."

His ethereal voice rang out, as if stating a commonplace natural phenomenon, “Frequency… it’s uncertain. Once every few hundred years? Perhaps once every few thousand years? Who cares?”

His gaze fell on Gray again, with a hint of amusement at discovering an interesting coincidence: "Only this time, coincidentally, this otherworldly soul that retained its memories has just been reincarnated as the current Demon King. It's quite an... interesting thing."

Then, He changed the subject and returned to the "main topic," explaining the reason for His intervention:

“My intervention to stabilize your life and bring you into the Celestial Realm was not out of any favor towards you.”

His tone was calm and even, as if he were stating a necessary maintenance task, "I simply don't want you to die easily before you fulfill your duty of 'reviving the demon race'."

If the demon race were to be completely wiped out due to the premature death of the Demon King, to save a race on the verge of extinction and restore it to a scale where it could 'cycle' again, I would need to expend a great deal of extra effort and divine power in vain.

Then, in a tone that seemed to bestow a favor, He proposed what He called a "deal"—or rather, what the deity considered the "optimal solution":

"Since you already know the mechanism of the human-demon cycle, and have gone to great lengths to come to this [Heavenly Realm],"

He looked down at Gray as if showing a lost lamb a way to survive, "who simply wanted to live and didn't want to be ended by the mission of the hero."

"Very well, I grant your request." His voice carried an unquestionable authority. "I allow you, as a demon king, to live to a natural death."

In exchange, you only need to fulfill your duty as the Demon King—revive the demon race and make it strong enough to sustain the cycle.

He even "generously" offered additional conditions, glancing at the pale-faced Philippa:

"As for this hero... I may temporarily strip him of his identity and mission as a 'hero' until you complete the restoration and the cycle returns to normal."

In the eyes of the Goddess of Light, this was undoubtedly an extremely favorable condition for Gray.

He can not only escape the fate of "dying at the hands of the hero," but also enjoy a long life and even protect Philippa temporarily from this cruel mission.

All He needs to do is wait a little while, and in return, He gets a smoothly running "automatic" cycle again.

This is the best of both worlds, no, the best of all three—it seems to be the best arrangement for the gods, the demon king, and even the hero who was forced into it.

He waited quietly for Grey's grateful acceptance, believing that any rational being, after witnessing divine power and knowing the inescapable fate, would grasp at this only "lifeline".

However, His "rational" calculations based on a divine perspective clearly could not comprehend the flame burning in Gray's heart, and the determination stemming from the legacy of the "sage," from resistance against an unjust fate, and from the unwillingness to see countless tragedies repeat themselves.

Gray listened in silence, his face devoid of any joy, his eyes growing increasingly cold.

He gently squeezed Philippa's hand, feeling the coldness and slight trembling of her palm.

He knew that Philippa would never accept this kind of "peace" that came at the cost of perpetuating the cycle and was "gifted" to her.

……

The "deals" proposed by the Goddess of Holy Light were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a tidal wave in Philippa's heart and plunging her into an unprecedented and tearing vortex of contradictions.

She couldn't quite grasp concepts like reincarnation, but every word the goddess spoke afterward struck her heart like a hammer blow.

She knew that, from the perspective of righteousness, reason, and the "correctness" she had been taught as a hero, accepting this condition was absolutely wrong!

This is not the end at all; it's just temporarily putting the derailed train back on track.

Gray accepted the conditions, lived to a ripe old age, and the demon race revived under his leadership... and then what?

When he passes away, new demon kings and heroes will be born again, and the cycle of hatred will be like an ever-relenting ouroboros, meshing and turning once more.

The blood of humans and demons will continue to flow endlessly, and generation after generation of lives will continue to be fueled by the gods to maintain the so-called "balance".

This so-called "peace" is nothing but the prelude to an even greater tragedy; it's a self-destructive act! It's a betrayal of the hopes of countless future generations for the sake of false tranquility!

She should refuse without hesitation, and stand firmly by Gray's side to fight against this predetermined and unjust fate! This is the "justice" she believes in, the justice that belongs to the hero!

However... another voice, a voice originating from the softest, most private corner of her heart, was frantically clamoring and shaking her resolve.

'But... that way Gray can survive!'

This thought is like a spell, with an irresistible allure.

No longer need to be his enemy, no longer need to endure the pain of hurting him with my own hands, no longer need to watch him walk towards the inevitable end of the destiny of "the hero must kill the demon king".

They could even have a very long time together, until he naturally grows old... What a huge comfort and temptation this was for her, who had just confirmed her feelings but was immediately forced to "betray" him and was suffering greatly in her heart!

'And... I no longer have to be his enemy as a hero...' The goddess even promised to temporarily strip her of her hero status.

This meant she could be freed from the heavy burden of the mission to kill her lover. She would no longer have to bear the expectations of her people and face her beloved with swords drawn.

'We...can even be like ordinary lovers...' A tiny, almost extravagant thought quietly began to grow.

No need to worry about tomorrow's battles, no need to concern themselves with the gap in their identities, they can simply spend some time peacefully as Gray and Philippa...

Rebel against the Goddess of Holy Light? What a difficult and dangerous path that is! The hope of success is as faint as a candle in the wind, and the consequences of failure are self-evident.

Accepting this condition may seem humiliating, but it can bring real and tangible "happiness" and "stability".

Grey must have believed that she would choose the path of resistance without hesitation, and that she would choose the path of justice in her heart.

But he didn't know that in Philippa's heart, the weight of the wish "that Grey live" was almost equal to, or even... heavier under the burning passion of her emotions.

Her sense of justice cried out, telling her that she could not compromise; but her selfishness whispered, tempting her to accept this illusion of "the best of both worlds".

Philippa's expression shifted, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on Gray's hand, her fingertips icy cold.

She lowered her head, not daring to look into Gray's eyes, afraid of seeing disappointment in them, and also afraid that he would notice the wavering in her heart that was "not bright enough".

The immense contradiction nearly tore her apart. On one hand, there was the greater good of her people's future and her resistance against her unjust fate; on the other hand, there was her personal happiness and the life of her loved one, which she wanted to hold onto tightly for the first and perhaps only time in her life.

She was caught in an unprecedented struggle, remaining silent as her mind was torn between two conflicting forces.

This silence itself revealed the intense turmoil within her, a stark contrast to her usual decisiveness...