Chapter 388

Chapter 388
## Chapter 388

The Demon World (3)

The Demon World, a realm of ceaseless friction and conflict, a theater where savagery and bloodletting were everyday affairs.

Yet despite its grim reputation, it remained a realm populated by intelligent entities, a civilization functioning under its own regulations and frameworks.

“What did you say?! I’ll rip you apart!”

“Come on then! Let us finish this here and now!”

“Ooh! A brawl! Hey, clear a path!”

“Kelok! Give them hell! Demonstrate the honor of the Marang Tribe!”

Though their culture might appear… distorted and savage from an external viewpoint, it was nonetheless an integral part of their heritage.

Ultimately, the Demon World was saturated with malevolent energy, a unforgiving domain that inherently bred hostility and fierceness in its denizens.

“Such… radiant vitality. It is entirely due to the Dark Nest’s recent triumphs. This protracted struggle is finally drawing to a close. Ah! And naturally, the House of Coatl’s role is likewise immense.”

The Doberman-headed demon, guiding Hella through the metropolis, casually observed as he watched a disturbance unfold on the shoulder of the roadway.

It sounded like a routine utterance, a commentary on a common sight.

‘…Is it truly that… radiant?’

Two fiends were locked in combat amidst a gathering, their exchanges savage and unrelenting despite their apparently meager power rankings.

“Perish!”

“Slay him! Slay him! Slay him!”

“What are you waiting for, Kelok?! Lock your jaws on him! Shred him to pieces!”

They were actively attempting to end each other, their strikes calculated to rip flesh and shatter skeleton, vital fluids painting the air as the onlookers roared in approval.

‘Is it due to the fact that fiends possess self-healing traits? That is… remarkably brutal.’

Perhaps this was an issue of… cultural variance.

To think such a vicious conflict was occurring under the open sky, right in the center of the thoroughfare… It served as a blunt warning that she resided in the Demon World, a domain of primal wildness and disorder.

Furthermore, they required no sustenance, provided they possessed arcane energy. They were essentially living armaments, engineered for combat.

“We have reached our goal. Please proceed this way.”

Her… introductory stroll through the Demon World concluded abruptly as they arrived at their destination.

A grand estate situated in the core of the metropolis.

And just as anticipated, an individual stood waiting at the main entryway.

“Salutations. I am Dalun, the ruler of this metropolis.”

The regional governor himself had stepped out to receive her in person.

It was an exceptionally… honorable greeting.

‘…He is acting this deferential simply because I invoked the House of Coatl…? They must possess absolute authority over them.’

Hella, masking her astonishment, rapidly evaluated the state of affairs.

It appeared they had also swiftly sworn their fealty to the Dark Nest, the alliance to which the House of Coatl belonged, once the equilibrium of control in the Demon World had transformed.

As she accompanied the regional governor into the estate,

Dalun, the boar-headed demon, suddenly caught a scent in the air, his brow knitting slightly.

“Hmm… I did not anticipate a delegation from the House of Coatl without prior notification… And your visage is unfamiliar. Did some misfortune befall the previous envoy? Are you… a successor?”

He maintained courtesy, yet was not overly groveling, fitting for a regional governor.

Unlike his subordinates, who had been too bewildered to reason properly, he had instantly spotted the irregularity and was stealthily interrogating her.

‘…He possesses sharp instincts. Well, he is a aristocratic fiend.’

He had scrambled to prepare for her arrival upon learning that a prominent member of the Dark Nest’s premier alliance was coming… yet the figure before him was an absolute stranger.

It was a logical response, even if he held merely the title of Baron, the introductory tier of peerage. Ultimately, in this system based strictly on capability, securing such a title proved one’s competence.

‘…Well, the outcome remains identical for me.’

In any case, there existed a straightforward and potent method to handle this turn of events.

“Are you… cross-examining me?”

“Eh? No, I merely…”

Irresistible dominance.

This was the Demon World, a territory of brutality and intimidation.

A faint dread, an almost imperceptible pressure, radiated outward from Hella.

“………!”

Before Dalun could offer a reply, he detected a crushing force enveloping him, akin to hidden blades unveiled, poised to strike.

It was a magnitude of power eclipsing his own capabilities as a Baron-level entity.

Gulp—

He swallowed heavily, his frame locking up, his complexion draining slightly.

Though it remained concealed beneath his dense, porcine bristles.

“So, you are growing… restless, correct? You object to taking directives from a… female? Is that the issue?”

“N-no… That is far from my intent…”

An explicit exhibition of dominance, a careless brushing aside of his inquiries, a mocking tone, folded arms, a canted head, and cascading tresses…

She embodied the ideal… oppressive master.

“Then what is it? Are you implying my presence here is unwarranted? Hmm? Is that your point?”

“…No, pray forgive me. It was an improper phrasing.”

Dalun was left with no option but to fall silent.

He had committed no explicit error, but within the Demon World, challenging an entity of greater strength was a severe transgression.

‘…At minimum Earl-level, conceivably even grander. From where did she materialize…? Does she truly hail from the House of Coatl? Or did they recall their elite units from the combat zones…?’

His internal thoughts whirled, a turbulent tangle of dread and doubt.

He required a strategy to placate her, to avoid drawing her indignation… and he likewise needed to weigh the prospective repercussions of executing her commands.

‘The most disastrous outcome would be… if her allegiance lies with a rival alliance. The campaign is nearing its conclusion. If I align with the incorrect faction and the Dark Nest enacts vengeance… ’

He would be ruined, his prospects grim and precarious.

‘…I shall feign compliance. And subsequently, I will surreptitiously communicate with the Dark Nest to clarify the circumstances. Perhaps I might even secure some… favorable recognition… ’

He strained his intellect, frantically hunting for a way out.

Regardless of his savage visage, he was a calculating and opportunistic fiend, favoring schemes and manipulation over raw muscle.

Every hazard presented an opening. If he could merely… leverage this turn of events…

“Pfft.”

And then,

…a quiet amusement resonated from his side.

He recognized the source.

“Why so rigid? I was merely jesting.”

“Ah… Ahaha… I comprehend. You… startled me.”

“Hehehe, was it entertaining?”

It was devoid of humor.

Yet he lacked the liberty to utter that.

After all, it had been no genuine jest.

“…This constitutes our chamber of reception. Let us step inside to converse on this matter further…”

“This location suffices. It is tranquil and… secluded. Splendid.”

“Pardon?”

And while he battled to preserve his exterior calm,

…yet another baffling declaration.

And matters did not conclude there.

Saaaa—

“What…!”

The environment within the space transformed, the atmosphere turning dense and suffocating.

He pivoted to examine the dubious visitor beside him… and paralyzed.

His limbs refused to obey.

‘…Her gaze…?’

Her eyes, which had appeared unremarkable, if singularly striking, were now… altered.

Blood-red irises, their centers gleaming like polished gems, their stare… hypnotic.

He was powerless to break contact.

“Tranquilize yourself. Opposition is futile. Let us simply… collaborate, agreed? We have a grand journey ahead.”

He detected that her crests had likewise transformed their appearance, though he lacked the opportunity to scrutinize them properly.

His consciousness, ensnared by her gaze, was plunging deeper and deeper into the blood-red abyss, akin to shifting sands.

“Yes, yes, excellent servant, Dalun. Now, why do you not summon the remaining leadership of this metropolis? I am not particularly adept at… managing multiple tasks.”

“…Understood, Master.”

Dalun, mesmerized by her 「Eyes of Domination」, answered submissively, and Hella, flashing a gentle grin, tapped his shoulder.

She had not anticipated securing an unmonitored meeting with the regional governor with such minimal friction.

It typically demanded duration and exertion to tame a prominent fiend, so possessing a protected and unmonitored setting was… highly advantageous.

‘It is of no consequence that I journeyed without my retainers. I can merely… enlist them on this spot.’

Regional acquisition, obtained straight from the origin.

This was the Demon World, the ancestral soil of the fiends.

A realm teeming with prospective enlistees.

‘Fiends develop greater power within the Demon World, meaning their defiance will likewise intensify… yet that principle favors me as well. The more frequently I execute my talents, the more advanced my mastery becomes.’

Furthermore, her 「Eyes of Domination」 was far from a basic psychological subversion method.

It constituted an element of her sovereignty as a Demon King, a capability that enabled her to govern her subjects.

Consequently, this… subjugation… was merely a component of an authorized covenant.

‘I shall verify my current coordinates… and subsequently establish communication with the others. I provided them with directives, though I remain uncertain if they are executing them. I possess an immense workload.’

If an issue existed within the Demon World, it was highly probable it centered around the Dark Nest, the prevailing power structure.

Monitoring their operations was the optimal path to pinpoint the root of the issue.

“Regional Governor? For what reason am I…?”

“Step forward. Maintain decorum. This is an essential visitor.”

Dalun’s utterance, alongside an unfamiliar voice, drifted from beyond the reception space.

It appeared the secondary voice belonged to the commander of defenses, another figure within the metropolis’s ruling circle.

Hella grinned radiantly as the entryway parted and multiple individuals stepped inside.

Her blood-red eyes shone.

‘A robust structure is indispensable.’

She had gathered that through practical application.

Boundaries existed regarding what she could accomplish unaided in this unfamiliar territory.

‘I shall seize command of this metropolis first.’

And subsequently—.

And thus, a fresh Demon King faction,

…began to implant itself in an obscure corner of the Demon World, its advancement quiet and rapid, its existence hidden from the realm.

—

A isolated sector of the Demon World, under the administration of the Dark Nest.

“Ken? For what reason have you returned already?”

“Hmm? Ah, Lucy Coatl.”

“Cease the nonsense and provide an account. Why are you back so prematurely? Do you even comprehend the expenditures required to traverse the planar divide? Did you fulfill your assignment?”

Miyamoto Ken grimaced at the woman’s piercing, critical tone.

She held authority over this sector, yet it remained… vexing to be met with a volley of inquiries the instant he materialized.

He held no affection for her.

‘…If only she possessed even a shred of the elegance of Hella-nim… ’

Yet that was an impossibility.

How could any mortal measure up to his current liege, a divinity descended from the heavens?

There existed no entities worthy of the designation ‘goddess’ within Auterica, yet he felt certain that Hella was the nearest approximation to it.

“Are you even paying attention? I permitted your departure because you pleaded, and now you reappear empty-handed? The hierarchy will be displeased…”

“Rest easy. I have secured an item.”

“…Truly?”

Ken, shifting his gaze toward Lucy Coatl, who was observing him with widened eyes, extracted a token from his pouch.

A dark, polished crystal, its form resembling a celestial body with numerous pointed projections.

“The core of a Marquis-level fiend who perished during the onslaught of the 14th Demon King.”

“…What?! Are you certain?!”

His assignment, along with the directives of the remaining agents sent to Auterica, was basic.

To reclaim any and all relics of the Demon World that had been scattered across the landmass.

Naturally, there existed… anticipations, contingent on the caliber of the relics.

“Ha! I find it hard to credit that an object of this nature remained uncovered. By what means did you unearth it? Did you pillage a dragon’s den or something similar?”

“Hmph, it proved challenging.”

“Hmm, a proprietary method? Well, it is of no import. This represents a monumental success. You are entitled to boast of this.”

The baseline condition for contesting the crown of the Demon King was… holding the rank of Duke.

There existed currently a mere four Dukes within the Demon World, each commanding a potent alliance, the sovereigns of their respective domains.

Marquis-level fiends ranked immediately beneath the Dukes, the ultimate combatants on any field of war.

‘…And it is the core of a warrior who fell during the previous campaign.’

The destiny bound to it was boundless.

Ken felt absolute certainty.

No other agent had accomplished a grander triumph than himself, barring the possibility that they had reclaimed the remains of the 14th Demon King or the core of the Succubus Queen, a Duke-level entity.

‘…I must satisfy their anticipations.’

He observed Lucy, who was inspecting the core with an expression of reverence, his gaze flashing.

He desired to sprint back to his liege and offer his tribute… yet he was required to exhibit restraint.

Ultimately, she had reassigned this critical duty to him, even granting him this precious crystal.

“Lucy Coatl, does this suffice to demonstrate my value?”

“Hmm, I must concede it does. This is… striking. Even had you crossed between the pair of realms ten times over, none would offer criticism.”

“Then guide the way.”

Ken, lifting his chin, returned the core to his pouch and uttered with self-assurance.

“I require an audience with the Dragon Marquis. I shall present this to him in person.”

His gaze smoldered with a absolute devotion.

Lucy tilted her head slightly, contemplating if his allegiance was consistently this… extreme… yet she eventually nodded, granting his demand.

After all, it constituted a justifiable claim, given his success.

‘All things for the sake of Hella-nim.’

Naturally, had she possessed knowledge of where his ultimate allegiance resided, she would not have consented so readily.

‘Even should it require the forfeit of my life.’

A dedicated zealot, his spirit brimming with passion, advanced toward the epicenter of false belief.