Duke Yuma and Bell rode on the griffin Ethan, soaring through the skies with wings flapping.
Swoosh─ swoosh─!
A purple and black portal, dripping with magical energy from the demon realm, caught their eyes over the ocean.
Flying monsters were gliding around the portal.
The vicious demon energy filled the air, and the flying monsters, devoid of self-awareness, relentlessly shot magical blasts towards Yuma.
Massive bat-like monsters, the Belmet. Raptor-like creatures, the Jetrophin.
A storm of magical waves surged towards Yuma.
Yuma drew Balmung.
<Super Concentration─ No Self (無我)>
He pinpointed all the parrying points of the oncoming magical blasts.
With precise calculations, he swung Balmung.
Boom! Whoosh! Bang!
As the sword struck the magical masses, an impact of golden circles erupted, causing sonic booms as the air cracked open.
KWA-BOOM!
<Absolute Counter>
Five fierce magical gusts furiously tore through the air, obliterating the bodies of the monsters.
Thud─ thud…
The monsters, impaled by their own magical flames, plummeted to the ground as ashes.
Ethan approached the red demon, frozen in place as a guard at the portal. Startled, the demon lunged with a spear.
Clank!
The spear’s trajectory twisted sharply. Bell’s sword deflected the demon’s spear and pierced its skull. Thick blood gushed out along with flesh.
The corpses of the dead monsters and demons fell into the sea.
Yuma, now seated atop the giant sea horse, Silbilia, gazed toward King Yeerkur of the Mullen Tribe, who was watching him.
“Sorry for stirring up the sea of Mullen.”
King Yeerkur slowly shook his head.
“It was bound to be cleaned up anyway.”
Yuma quickly scanned the group that had come to see him off, riding behind Yeerkur on Silbilia.
Everyone stared intently at Yuma and Bell on Ethan.
Bell waved her hand with a smile.
Yuma directed Ethan toward the portal, the griffin charging straight for it.
At that moment, a red head popped out of the portal.
“Hiiiiiik! That last wave of troops was the finale! The final troops! It means the invasion is over!!”
Yuma placed Balmung against the demon’s neck.
“Open the portal properly. Don’t close it.”
The demon’s eyes widened.
“…W-What?”
Yuma and Bell stepped on Ethan’s back simultaneously, striding toward the portal. Yuma and Bell entered the demon realm.
“W-What, what is happening?!”
“Ah!”
The demons stumbled back in shock.
“What kind of crazy human enters the demon realm!!!!”
Thud—
The wizards in charge of the demon realm’s gate hurriedly closed the portal.
Duke Yuma and Bell took a step forward.
“Uh…?”
Bell’s eyes widened.
The demon realm.
This world, which seemed no different from the legendary images of hell or purgatory, was strikingly similar to the Intermediate World they had just left.
The scenery before them felt all too familiar.
Nature, mountains, and sky. Buildings that looked no different from palaces.
“This place is also a world. And unlike the simple monsters, demons think just like humans. They too have their own society.”
It was the same in the game Loop Blood.
When Yuma asked Princess Brigitte and the high elf Luine about it, he realized this world was similar to the demon realm he had experienced through Loop Blood.
The Intermediate World was a place where countless non-human beings lived alongside humans.
The demon realm was simply a world where demons resided.
A very ordinary world with rank structures based on power.
The skin of the demons was remarkably diverse. Reds and purples. Also blues and blacks, you name it.
Their hair varied equally, with whites, blacks, and golds.
Yuma moved forward.
Shwff—
Bell followed Yuma.
Just the visible demons alone numbered over a hundred. Yet, none of them dared to approach Yuma and Bell; they only flinched.
Unlike Bell, who wondered why they were acting this way, Yuma had somewhat of an understanding.
He recalled Luine’s voice.
– “Demons have an excellent sense of smell for blood. Especially if it’s the blood of a demon lord… You’ve killed not one, but two demon lords, both not just ordinary ones, and you got close to them both, so… demons will know immediately.”
– “The scent of a demon lord’s blood can’t just be washed away. And if you’re carrying the red heart of that demon lord—it’s like you’re flaunting a Birthstone, they wouldn’t even dare come close unless they’re on the same level.”
Yuma had asked back then why.
– “Survival of the fittest, the strong thrive. It’s the rule of demons. It absolutely will not change. They are deeply afraid of significant power disparities. No one would dare challenge someone who could kill two demon lords.”
With that in mind, Yuma’s choice was clear.
He handed over two red hearts—the birthstones of the demon lords—to the dwarves next to the elves.
The dwarf, clutching the terrifying objects, looked at Yuma.
“Why are you giving this to me…?”
“Use these to make bracelets.”
If simply holding them could prevent any non-demon lord from even thinking about touching him, he might as well wear such a bracelet.
You better hurry up and strut around.
In Yuma’s right hand, the two birthstone bracelets were firmly in place.
The heart gems of the two demon lords. The birthstones powerfully awakened the deep-rooted fear embedded within the demons.
Step by step—
Yuma moved forward without a hint of hesitation.
To Yuma, it was nothing but an act of bravado, but to the enemies, it was no mere show.
Kugugugugu—
The dead scent flowing from the birthstones of the two deceased demon lords settled heavily in the demons’ nostrils.
The demons imagined Yuma’s overwhelming aura, which wrapped around him like a thick fog.
Jjeojeojeojeok!!!
Gray waves of ferocity flowed from his entire being, stretching aura into the demon realm’s atmosphere.
To the demons, Yuma’s simple act of walking felt like death itself was approaching.
It was a direct demonstration of power.
Right in front of the portal to the demon realm, there was the camp of the advisors.
And among the advisors were those who had witnessed Yuma’s display of might through the eyes of the demons and monsters. Many of those who heard the shrieks of those advisors were stationed here.
Yuma thought to himself how fortunate it was, as he gestured with his chin toward the demons trying to block his and Bell’s entrance at the portal of the demon realm.
[Lv.94] Jamus
“Come here, you’ll have to play the role of a guide.”
The brown demon trembled and took a step back at Yuma’s words. At that moment, Bell stepped forward, grabbed the demon Jamus’s shoulder, and shoved him next to Yuma.
“Hiiiiiik!”
Despite having considerable power, Jamus couldn’t help but cower.
Yuma and Bell moved forward, dragging the demon known as Jamus along. They headed towards the gathering place of the advisors in the demon realm.
The two advisors, the Great Demon Prod and Duke of the Demon World Seliel, gaped with their mouths wide open and staggered backward upon witnessing Yuma annihilate demons.
Prod opened his mouth.
“What… purpose do you have in the demon realm?”
Yuma replied softly to the advisors.
“I merely have personal business. I’ll take what I need and leave.”
The platinum-haired vampire Seliel swallowed hard.
“Is there any reason for a human to have business in this demon realm…?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Of course, this was only from the demons’ perspective.
At that moment, something fell from the red sky like a meteor.
It wasn’t a meteor; it was a demon.
With crimson hair flowing wildly, the demon descended and approached Yuma.
“How impressive!”
Unlike other demons, she had skin as white as a human’s. Her hair danced like flames, and her large frame, matched with a significant bust, made her stand out as a female demon.
She was a possessed female demon.
She wore a black dress that looked of rather good quality.
The demon looked at Yuma with her bright yellow eyes.
At her arrival, all the demons who were on guard against Yuma knelt down.
“O great being…!”
“O master of all flames in this world.”
That demon lord was none other than the Great Demon King.
The Great Demon King. There were only five beings like her in the demon realm.
Yuma observed the female demon in front of him with the Search Eye.
[Lv.578] Lilith
Race: Great Demon King-Demon
Great Demon King Title: Master of all fire demons
Disposition: Neutral
Level: God
‘The Great Demon King is an existence with powers on par with a god.’
That was just like the game Loop Blood. In the game, there was a scene where a god descended into the demon realm and got beaten up by the Great Demon King.
However, the god was undoubtedly the superior being. The Great Demon King had power comparable to a tier 1 god, but she could not leave the demon realm.
Yuma stared intently at the Great Demon King Lilith.
Lilith’s red lips parted.
“How astonishing. You, who have slain two demon lords, feel no fear in front of me! How astonishing!”
Lilith stepped forward until she was right in front of Yuma.
“Do you think you can defeat… no, kill me?”
“If you’re curious, feel free to attack.”
Yuma adjusted his grip on Balmung, which he had been dragging loosely.
“I’ll let you take the first move.”
The audacious proclamation of yielding the first strike to the Great Demon King left the demons gaping in shock.
Siiiiiih.
Lilith’s smile beamed until her mouth almost touched her ears, and her aura spread like a spider’s web.
The tension was palpable.
The demons sweated down their spines as they stepped back from the distortion in the air.
Lilith, still gazing at Yuma with her bright yellow eyes, shifted her focus to Bell, who was beside him.
“You’re commendable as well. You don’t seem scared like your master.”
Lilith looked at Bell, who was on edge with her hand on the hilt of her sword, and smiled again.
“Hmph.”
With Lilith’s short snort, the ferocious energy she emitted evaporated instantly.
“In truth, I was just curious. What kind of crazy human set foot in the demon realm.”
Yuma didn’t feel the need to retort; it was true enough.
“If what you seek in this demon realm is not just my life, I can offer you all the advice you need. I would like to invite you to my castle.”
Lilith had an expression of pure curiosity about what one unafraid human from the Intermediate World might do.
“This demon realm is as vast as the Intermediate World you came from. I don’t know what you’re searching for, but my information is bound to be more solid than those worthless things.”
It wasn’t entirely wrong to dismiss that as nonsense. Yuma nodded.
“How delightful!”
Saying that, Yuma and Bell followed behind Lilith.
