Inside the Demon King's Castle—her grand fortress that somehow couldn't use its front gate because of her own hobby traps. In the courtyard, she even started a home garden. Around that absurdly customized castle, the demon tribe executives gathered.
The reason?
"Alright then, let's get this here Eighth 'How to Get Along with Humans' meetin' started!"
...Seriously?
The demons all screamed the same thing in their heads. No one dared to say it aloud. Anyone who talked back to the Kansai-born Demon King would face her legendary retort. Even demons couldn't survive that kind of verbal attack.
"...Why though?"
A comeback already. From the Hero himself—literally a hero, complete with messy hair that screamed "main character."
"Because peace is best, ya know?"
As expected of a Japanese-born Demon King. A pacifist, despite being the Demon King.
Maybe "avoid trouble at all costs" fit better. Japanese people, after all, tend to quietly go home even when travel plans go wrong. Overseas, some call them "fairies"—perfect guests who vanish without complaint. Fancy, right?
"Why am I even in this meeting!?" the Hero shouted.
"Because no other human would come, Yu-chan," the Demon King said cheerfully.
"I didn't come here to attend a meeting! And stop calling me that!"
The Hero's fiery rebuttal made even the demons flinch. They mentally uninstalled themselves.
"I don't get it! Why do you even care about humans, Demon King-sama!?" asked Cyclops, breaking the silence.
...Oh no.
The room froze. The Demon King smiled silently, climbed onto the table, and placed both hands on Cyclops's head.
"How many times I gotta say this? I used to be human!"
"Gyaa!? My head—my head's gonna crack!"
The Demon King hugged harder. It was a deadly move called the *Maou Breaker*.
"I can understand summoning a Demon King," she shouted. "But why me!? Why the heck me!?"
"Ginyua!?" Cyclops gasped before his head twisted like a gourd.
Thankfully, demons have muscles for brains. He'd live.
"And what's with this red hair!? And the horns!? What am I, a cow!? Then at least give me a cow's chest too, you muscle-head!"
Silence followed. Cyclops twitched on the floor. Still alive—probably.
"Oh, but Demon King-sama, your modest chest is beautiful too," said Mirarka, the vampire.
"Shut up, yuri vampire."
She cut the flirt short. Everyone knew Mirarka only hunted beautiful women. It was also no secret she'd tried to sneak into the Demon King's room multiple times.
"Anyway! I stayed up all night thinking about how demons and humans can get along!"
"Demon King-sama, you're nocturnal now," someone muttered.
"I got it! I'll just marry Yu-chan!"
"Someone stop the Demon King!"
Dullahan's perfect comeback echoed through the hall. At this point, he was the only sane one left. Everyone quietly prayed for Grauze, his sensible predecessor, to return.
And as for the Hero, who had just been half-proposed to...
"...Sorry."
He meant it. His serious face said, *Don't joke about things like that.*
"...That was a joke, you killjoy!" the Demon King yelled and bolted.
Apparently, you can't escape the Demon King, but the Demon King can escape you. Life's unfair.
"...Was that really a joke?" the Hero muttered.
"She looked like she was about to cry," someone said.
"Then let's just call it a joke," another replied.
And once again, the demon realm remained peaceful.
...
Meanwhile, in Japan—at Adachi-kun's house.
"Morning already. Get up."
"A vampire waking up in the morning? Cruel."
Lynbel the Dark Elf opened the door without knocking. Wrapped tight in her blanket like a snail, Grauze the Demon Duke glared suspiciously.
"Shina (the Princess) made breakfast. Don't tell me you'll skip it?"
"If it's food, give me blood. Preferably from a maiden."
"Your turn, Mii-chan."
"The cat's blood's no good!?"
Lynbel called for Mii-chan, the house cat. Animal lovers would call that pure evil.
"To think I've fallen this low... cursed sun god!" Grauze growled.
"Don't say that. Here, a gift from Amaterasu-sama," Lynbel said, tossing something onto the blanket.
"My... my necklace!"
"Apparently, so many people prayed for it to be returned that Amaterasu-sama relented. Be grateful to this country's people and the sun goddess."
"Hmph. Fools."
Despite the words, Grauze gently reached for the necklace.
"Gyaaa!?"
"What now!?"
A flash of light. He twitched like he'd been struck by lightning.
"Why!?" he gasped.
"Oh, looks like Amaterasu-sama's blessing settled into it," Lynbel said calmly.
"What!?"
The sun god's blessing—great for humans, healing every few seconds. For a vampire, though? Constant damage.
The gift had turned into torment.
"...I won't lose!"
Driven by love, Grauze grabbed the necklace and fastened it around her neck.
"I won't lose... Mirarka... I...!"
"...Love is strong," Lynbel said softly.
And so, Japan stayed peaceful too.