Chapter 393
Chapter 393
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 393
Chapter Title: Demon King Descent (2)
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The Demon Realm, a world whose entire size amounted to roughly that of a single continent on Outerica.
Unlike the harmonious surface world, it was an extreme environment brimming with negative energy.
Was it because of this inherently harsh world?
The demon race, born in the Demon Realm, possessed abilities far more combat-oriented than ordinary living beings.
Not only was their base physical prowess exceptional, but as long as they had mana, they didn't need food and suffered no ill effects. They instinctively mastered combat styles suited to themselves without any training.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were a race born solely to fight.
However—and fortunately for the other races on the surface—they were bound by all sorts of constraints.
Leaving the Demon Realm that isolated them was difficult in the first place, and even if they managed to escape, they had to endure significant power loss. That was one of their limitations.
'If not for that, this world would never know peace from wars with demons. The same goes for the heavenly angels.'
But conversely, within the Demon Realm, the demons' power was maximized.
So how overwhelming must the might of a demon duke be, one of the pinnacles among them?
[Krghhh— Krghhh—]
[...Damn it, these cursed bastards...!]
That was why Duke Howler Sipar had managed to hold out against Hela and Davidson this long.
Though his right head, covered in scales, was gone, and his body bore wounds so deep his bones were exposed in places, the demons' tenacious vitality minimized any drop in combat ability.
"...Persistent, huh. They do say your physical prowess is unmatched in the Demon Realm. Seems it's not just empty talk."
"Kahat!"
But even that was nearing its end.
His physical abilities were as monstrous as rumored, but his opponents were even greater monsters.
Hela slowly flapped her wings as if touring the world, looking down arrogantly at the two-headed hound below.
The cross-section of the severed neck writhed continuously, regenerating in real time.
Yet the speed was disappointingly sluggish, unworthy of his fame.
In that state, full recovery would probably take days.
'Impressive that even after devouring the entire concept with "Shikigami," it's still like this.'
It was possible because the essence still intact with demonic power remained unharmed.
Repairing such massive damage in mere days was remarkable, but since Davidson had stolen the very concept of that area, the power lost in the process wouldn't be insignificant.
'Can't just leave it like that. That essence isn't yours anymore. It's all mine.'
With such brazen thoughts, Hela tugged the whip in her hand taut side to side several times and licked her lips with her tongue.
At the same time, Davidson drooled from all three mouths, wriggling his tongues.
Of course, to their opponent, it was nothing more than provocation.
'Damn, damn it! Where the hell did these guys come from? Rrelai clearly died in the expedition without leaving anything behind! To think they'd grab me by the ankle like this now?'
Sipar ground his teeth viciously.
The foes saw him as prey right on the verge of capture.
For one who had reigned at the top of the Demon Realm for so long, it was an unbearable humiliation.
The problem was that it was now an imminent reality.
'No! I can't die like this! After all I've suffered so far! And not to a dragon lord, but some unknown mongrels?!'
This wasn't why he'd struggled all his life.
He'd challenged for the demon king throne through repeated failures not for this end.
...Kugh, damn it!'
In the end, he steeled his resolve.
Even if it meant catastrophic damage hard to recover from, he'd escape this place first.
He admitted that trying to resolve this without such sacrifice had been greedy.
'If I can just get out of here somehow...'
By now, news of his base being attacked would have spread across all of Abnormal.
With the difference in forces and the home advantage, summoning all his high demons focused on the Dark Nest frontlines would let him deal with these guys.
'To crawl into the heart of my territory so fearlessly! I'll make you pay for that arrogance!'
The factions weren't playing territory grab for nothing.
In the Demon Realm, status and power scaled directly.
Yet the leader himself joined an infiltration op!
Considering the risks of failure, it was no different from gambling.
Kugugugu—!
[I'll melt you all!]
[Awoooo—!]
With a wolf-like howl, scarlet flames erupted across Sipar's entire body.
A massive shockwave spread from him, hot enough to incinerate the world, swiftly engulfing everything.
"...Hah, still had this much power left?"
Frowning, Hela launched another attack and realized.
Sipar had abandoned all defense, pouring everything into that one thing.
With his mana barriers and other means gone, his massive body, defenseless, rapidly shredded.
But he was Duke Howler, whose durability surpassed even dragons.
While enduring with pure toughness, the hellfire rapidly expanded, now threatening the "World of Demonic Heavens" itself.
Hwaruruk— Hwaruk!
Naturally, Hela and Davidson couldn't avoid the flames sweeping and shaking the entire space.
Scarlet flames licked greedily, swiftly charring the thick mana field around Hela.
'All or nothing now, huh. Flames that burn everything. Even I would struggle if this lasted long.'
As expected of a duke-level demon.
Tsking lightly, she gripped the whip hard and poured in mana.
Otherwise, even this top-grade Demon Realm magic tool wouldn't hold.
Chiiik— Sizzle—
Meanwhile, the physical beast Davidson endured the heat bare-bodied.
Burning and regenerating infinitely in the blazing flames.
Yet he kept swallowing the hellfire touching his mouth, charging at Sipar again.
[Kuhk! You persistent bastard! How in this fire!]
[Kuhuk!]
Under that reckless assault, his left distorted head finally had its throat torn out.
He resisted amid the flames, but the shortage of heads created gaps he couldn't cover.
Davidson shoving his maw relentlessly despite the fire evoked the image of hell's gatekeeper, utterly ferocious.
But at that moment.
The distorted face being devoured suddenly grinned wickedly.
As if he'd foreseen even this.
[Kuhuhu—! Fine, I'll send you to hell first!]
Right after.
Sssst—
Red light flashed from the snake's eyes on Sipar's tail.
The immense heat melting the world was sucked into the snake in an instant.
All changes happened in a blink, as if time were cut.
"Ka ha?"
Davidson paused, busily chewing the flesh in his mouth.
The situation shifted abruptly without warning.
He turned his six eyes toward the solar heat source.
[Kuhahat! Die!]
The tail snake crumbled to ash from energy overload.
Its final light burst from its mouth.
Toward him, savoring his meal with three mouths.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Kuwaaaang—!
A massive shockwave exploded, a beam of light piercing the sky.
"Kuhuk! Hot...!"
"Fall back! Fall back!"
"Focus on defense! You'll get swept!"
At once, hellish heat even lesser demons couldn't withstand spread across the battlefield.
The "World of Demonic Heavens" on one side collapsed, its trapped energy rampaging outward.
"Ugh, what...?"
"What happened? The duke?"
"Lady Hela! Is the fight over?!"
The demons fighting outside narrowed their eyes toward it, regardless of faction.
The dense mana storm obscured the interior, but they couldn't endure without looking.
Despite the fierce battle, they knew.
No matter what they did, the battlefield's fate hinged on that fight's outcome.
Gulp.
In everyone's tension, the mana storm gradually subsided.
And what emerged was.
Crackle—
[Kughhh! How...!]
One massive head choking on a long whip, vomiting blood.
And crunch crunch—
Another monster deftly moving three heads to feast on a crushed head.
"...That startled me."
Hela, whip in one hand, lightly swept her forehead with the other.
Sipar's heat was so intense that even without direct hit, her flame-resistant hand was damp with sweat.
"Well, good try. Wrong opponent."
Hela glanced up at the sky.
Following the beam's trajectory beyond the purple sky's scar.
Who'd have thought he'd feign an AoE to trick her, sacrificing even the tail snake for a killing blow.
Using the hellfire filling the space as medium, it had near-instant activation unworthy of its power.
Hela, a bit distant, had no time to react.
But luckily, Davidson... no, Harley had one trump card for such moments.
Kwaduk— Gulp!
Three green glows faded from one of the three heads frantically devouring meat to replenish calories.
Traces of 'Gem Eye: Compel ×3' forcibly twisting the snake's neck away at the dire moment it targeted him.
'If that hit... Hm, wouldn't die, but massive power loss. Maybe even deficits.'
No point coming to the Demon Realm as mercenaries just to take losses.
Harley rarely used it anyway, so no big issue.
Not sure if anyone could observe inside the "World of Demonic Heavens," but better safe.
'Tch, got complacent thinking it'd be easy. Even with overwhelming advantage, opponent's a duke who's ruled this hellish Demon Realm for over a millennium.'
No matter "Gem Eye: Compel" scaled with energy input, two couldn't output enough.
As a trump card, the hellfire-infused snake's resistance was no joke.
But now he had three heads!
Thanks to Cerberus factors, the originals duplicated fully, preserving output. All three at full power twisted the beam skyward just before firing.
It shattered the "World of Demonic Heavens" from shock, but now irrelevant.
Allowing that ultimate attack? Maybe. But failure meant the fight was over.
"O, ooooh...! Woooh!"
"Lady Hela victorious! Long live Hela! Long live!"
"Uwaa! Duke Howler!"
"Impossible! How? What are they...?!"
Even the stunned onlookers saw it clearly.
Their eyes beheld a simple scene.
Duke Howler, lost two heads and tail, body mangled, collapsed.
In stark contrast, Hela unscathed, gripping his leash like an owner.
And a pet monster calmly munching, pinning the duke like hunted prey.
In the Demon Realm of survival of fittest, big shots meant nothing.
Besides, that beast wasn't even a demon.
Taming monsters was skill enough, let alone such one-sided domination left no excuses.
'Kugh, to fail like this again. This time too...!'
Sipar, humiliatingly subdued, keenly felt the shifting tides.
Loyalty fleeing from him in real time.
Toward the victor holding his leash like a master.
Just like the 14th demon king selection. And the 15th.
[...Kuh, I lost. I, Sipar, acknowledge you as king.]
In the end, he squeezed his eyes shut and uttered it.
Abnormal was centered solely on Duke Howler Sipar.
Dying defiant would just scatter remnants to new lords.
And likely this winner reeking of demon king.
'Better bend first. Like before. Fine. Survive, and opportunities abound...'
But then.
"Ah, sorry, feel bad now? Unfortunately, I have prior commitments."
[...What do yo— Kuhuk!]
The whip around his neck tightened viciously.
Not just that.
The writhing, living whip began sawing his neck with sharp barbs.
[Kugh! Wh... why! I'm a duke! My support would help against Black Darkness and dragon lords! You'd be closer to 'true demon king'...]
"Promised to handle all you dukes first. Verbal contracts count, right? Can't break it unilaterally so soon after..."
Hela smiled awkwardly, winking one eye.
A cute sight unfit for one severing his neck alive with immense mana and "Annihilator."
"And besides—"
As true death loomed, Sipar thrashed wildly.
But far too late.
Davidson pinned his bulk, but as defeated foe under restraint, he had no escape from "Demon King's" execution and "Eye of Dominion" pressure.
"—I'm already the true demon king."
A chilling verdict, coldly gazing down at the worm-like writher.
No need for your help against the other two.
Just shut up and cough up your essence. That's more useful.
Her final sentence, laden with meanings.
[Ha... haha... As expected, you...]
Fwoosh— Boom!
A star that ruled the Demon Realm summit for ages fell to earth.
The vibration echoed heavily, like the weight of its meaning.
What thoughts her last words sparked, his remaining face held an indescribably subtle expression.
Hela tossed the head to Davidson, dominating like a hunting hound, then extracted Duke Howler's essence.
With essence in the body, regeneration possible over time, however long.
Extracted, even that slim chance vanished.
Thus.
Fwaaah—
A polyhedron like burning red flame appeared in her hand.
Duke-level essence rivaling Succubus Queen's magic stone.
Rare even in Demon Realm, its waves spread outward.
Sruruk— Thud— Thud!
Surrounding demons knelt one by one.
From Hela's followers like Dream Walker to Abnormal minions who'd fought moments ago.
As if in ritual— they offered worship and fear to their conquering sovereign.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Your influence as the Demon King expands. The individual's existence becomes more distinct. Like venerating the newly descended Demon King upon this land.