Haruto was officially the Demon King.
Against his will.
Against all logic.
Against every desperate attempt to escape.
And now?
Now, he was about to make things even worse.
---
Haruto's Midnight Escape Plan (Fails Instantly, Again)
Haruto sat in the Demon King's throne room, completely dead inside.
Lilia was humming happily next to him.
The Demon Generals were discussing war plans.
Demons were parading in the streets, celebrating their new king.
And Haruto?
Haruto was watching a golden statue of himself being raised in the town square.
"...This is my villain origin story," he muttered.
But tonight—
He would fix everything.
Alright, he thought, this is my chance.
He had waited until everyone was distracted.
He had memorized the castle layout.
He had prepared his escape route.
Just slip out quietly, run far away, and live in a cave for the rest of my life.
Haruto nodded to himself.
Foolproof plan.
---
Step 1: Steal a Horse (Somehow Succeeds)
Haruto snuck out of the palace, wrapped himself in a cloak, and made his way to the royal stables.
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The demon guards were too busy celebrating to notice him.
Perfect.
Haruto hopped onto the biggest, fastest horse he could find.
"Alright, buddy," he whispered. "Get me out of here."
The horse neighed excitedly.
Then—
BOLTED OUT OF THE CITY AT FULL SPEED.
---
Step 2: Ride Into the Night (Everything Goes Wrong Immediately)
For the first time in days, Haruto felt hope.
The demon city disappeared behind him.
The cool night air rushed past his face.
He was finally free.
"Hah!" Haruto laughed. "They'll never find me now!"
Then—
He heard the sound of an entire army galloping behind him.
Haruto's stomach dropped.
Slowly—mechanically—he turned his head.
And what did he see?
The entire demon army riding after him.
"OUR KING IS LEADING US INTO BATTLE!"
"LONG LIVE KING HARUTO!"
"DEATH TO THE HUMANS!"
Haruto screamed.
"NO! TURN AROUND! I AM NOT LEADING YOU ANYWHERE!"
The demon soldiers roared with excitement.
"FOR THE DEMON KING!"
"FOR HARUTO!"
"STOP SAYING MY NAME!"
---
Step 3: Accidentally Invade a Human Kingdom
Haruto yanked the reins, trying to stop his horse.
"TURN AROUND! GO HOME! DISMISS YOURSELVES!"
The demons didn't listen.
Instead—
They charged straight toward the border of the human kingdom.
"I AM NOT LEADING A WAR!" Haruto screamed.
"LONG LIVE KING HARUTO!"
"I SWEAR TO THE GODS, I WILL THROW MYSELF OFF THIS HORSE!"
The demons cheered louder.
Then—
A horn sounded in the distance.
Haruto froze.
Ahead, standing at the border of the human kingdom, was a fully armed human army.
The knights stood ready.
The mage battalions prepared their spells.
The king himself sat on a majestic white horse, glaring directly at Haruto.
And then—
The human army saw the demon army charging.
And what did they assume?
That Haruto, the newly crowned Demon King, was leading an invasion.
The knights pointed their swords at him.
"IT'S THE DEMON KING!"
"HE'S LAUNCHING AN ATTACK!"
"PREPARE FOR WAR!"
Haruto's soul shattered.
"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, THIS IS A MISUNDERSTANDING!"
---
Step 4: Attempt Diplomacy (Fails Immediately)
Haruto desperately waved his arms.
"STOP! STOP! I SURRENDER! I COME IN PEACE!"
The human king narrowed his eyes.
"LIES! THE DEMONS NEVER SURRENDER!"
"NO, SERIOUSLY, THIS IS A BIG MISUNDERSTANDING!"
The human king pointed at him.
"DO NOT BE FOOLED! THIS IS THE MOST DANGEROUS DEMON KING IN HISTORY!"
Haruto choked on air.
"...What."
"THIS IS THE MONSTER WHO DEFEATED THE PREVIOUS DEMON KING IN A SINGLE STRIKE!"
The human knights gasped.
"HE'S EVEN STRONGER THAN THE LAST ONE?!"
"WE ARE DOOMED!"
Haruto internally screamed.
"NO! I AM NOT STRONG! I AM JUST A GUY!"
The human king scoffed.
"Only a true demon king would say something so deceptive."
Haruto grabbed his own face, shaking.
"WHY DOES NO ONE EVER LISTEN TO ME?!"
---
Step 5: Try to Run (Again, Fails Instantly)
"Alright, nope. I'm done."
Haruto turned his horse around.
"I AM GOING HOME!"
Then—
A fireball exploded in front of him.
Haruto froze.
The human mages had launched the first attack.
"THEY'RE FIRING SPELLS! RETALIATE!" a demon general shouted.
"NO, DON'T RETALIATE!" Haruto screamed.
Too late.
The demons launched a counterattack.
The humans retaliated.
And before Haruto could process what was happening—
THE BATTLE HAD BEGUN.
Haruto screamed in agony.
"WHY?! WHY DOES EVERYTHING I DO MAKE MY LIFE WORSE?!"
---
Step 6: Watch His Harem Make Everything Worse
Just when Haruto thought things couldn't get dumber—
He felt a familiar presence behind him.
Slowly—mechanically—he turned his head.
And who did he see?
[✓] Lilia, smiling like this was a date.
[✓] Emberis, cracking her knuckles, ready for a fight.
[✓] Sylphiel, radiating elegance, completely unfazed.
[✓] Fel, casually robbing unconscious soldiers.
[✓] Claire, standing at a safe distance, watching him suffer.
[✓] Princess Emilia, looking deeply, deeply disappointed.
Haruto choked on air.
"HOW?! HOW DID YOU ALL GET HERE?!"
Lilia giggled. "Oh, darling, we couldn't let you have all the fun~."
"THIS IS NOT FUN!"
Emberis grinned. "Now that we're here, shall we conquer this kingdom together?"
"NO! STOP! GO HOME!"
Sylphiel smiled. "A king should always expand his empire."
"I DON'T HAVE AN EMPIRE!"
Fel snickered. "Well, you do now, boss."
Haruto collapsed onto his horse.
"I hate it here."