< 179. Demon King and Prince >
Balaf Disrod: Lightly wounded.
Aina Diaphrin: Seriously wounded.
Gillian Aint: Dead.
Of 349 heroes excluding Stars: 13 lightly wounded, 71 seriously wounded, 265 dead.
Jespain Imperial Army (30,000): 4,231 lightly wounded, 1,998 seriously wounded, 9,327 dead.
Dormut Kingdom Army (10,000): 1,340 lightly wounded, 689 seriously wounded, 4,391 dead.
Of the allied army of 40,000, fewer than half emerged unscathed.
In truth, the alliance—excluding the heroes—hadn't suffered major losses from the mana tower's explosion itself.
The aftermath was limited to those near the tower, and the walls of benevolence reduced damage the farther they were from it.
But the blast shattered their formation, plunging them into mental panic amid an unprecedented crisis.
Then steam rose where flame met snow—no, something thicker than steam turned into fog, and countless monsters swarmed in.
The demon king subjugation had devolved into a desperate fight for survival.
No one spoke of searching for the tower again. Grief, despair, rage, and hopelessness had turned them into scattered remnants.
In the early days when demon kings first descended, humanity failed to respond properly, forced to watch as they formed legions and toppled kingdoms.
But such one-sided wars hadn't occurred for centuries, not since humans and demon kings found a fragile equilibrium a hundred years ago.
Let alone with hundreds of heroes and over 10,000 allied troops dead.
The shock dwarfed past defeats: the hero party's rout in the snowfields, the black mage's horde in Hamstline Gorge, the kidnapping of Berft's princess and craftsmen, the demon king's assault on the empire's heartland.
It was more overwhelming.
More shocking.
The ripples shook the continent violently.
In the imperial capital, wherever two or more gathered, the talk turned to the same topic.
"My god, hundreds of heroes dead? To just one demon king?"
"Hundreds of heroes alone—over ten thousand total. How incompetent do you have to be to take that much damage from a single demon king?"
"The empire's incompetent? Don't spout nonsense. They beat a dragon slayer! This demon king's just too strong!"
"It's only been two years!"
"Think of what the Flame Demon King did in those two years!"
"......"
"Toying with the Stars like that in just two years—what happens if he gets more time? We're all doomed. The demon king will conquer the world!"
The listening man's voice dropped.
"You don't mean..."
No way?
"...Nah, couldn't be. But look at the situation! I have no confidence we can beat this demon king!"
"Rumors of strong demon kings are eternal. But they've always been subjugated. We have to believe it'll be the same this time."
"True. What can we do anyway? Let's drink."
Merchants drowned their anxiety in liquor. The same scene played out across the capital.
In one corner of the palace, Third Prince Martin heard precise details not from newspapers, but from aides.
"My god, indeed."
He hadn't imagined this even as the alliance advanced.
He'd assumed the demon king's confidence stemmed from hiding his tower and evading the flames.
But not just evading—dealing a massive blow.
As a prince, he'd seen much, but this surpassed it all.
This leaves two paths.
The empire falls first, or the demon king is subjugated.
No, not just the empire—the whole continent unites to kill the Flame Demon King.
Even the probing actions end.
They might go all-out now. This had awakened humanity's vigilance to that extent.
Will it stop at the Flame Demon King?
Once was just the start. The seed of anxiety—that it could repeat two, three times—would spread its blade beyond him to other demon kings.
War.
The precarious peace, barely settled a century ago, would shatter.
Demon kings kept descending, so the war would never end.
My god.
Martin rubbed his face.
His eyes grew cold.
If it's come to this, better to control the demon king...
War was inevitable now. Humanity's rage wouldn't fade until the demon kings paid dearly.
And that price was their total annihilation—a reset for all demon kings.
If we identify newly descended ones early, leash them before they build power, control them...
No, if all demon kings die, what about Kaede? Damn it, can I save her?
Then.
Knock knock—
"Who is it."
"Your Highness, His Majesty has summoned all royals and nobles."
"...I'll go."
All imperial royals and nobles rushed to the capital.
And this wasn't limited to the empire.
"Martin Jespain, Third Prince, reporting."
Martin entered the palace, treading the red carpet to bow before the throne's master.
"Your Majesty, your servant Martin Jespain has arrived."
"Take your seat."
"Yes."
He sat among the gathered royals.
"Marquis Vargan arrives."
"Baron Ollai arrives."
"Fifth Princess, Nicola Jespain arrives."
"Fourth Prince..."
Nobles and royals arrived in succession. The vast audience chamber filled, but not all nobles per imperial decree—border counts and provincial lords guarding frontiers were exempt.
So they awaited not latecomers, but something else.
The emperor's gaze turned to empty seats.
Among those for royals, the highest one.
"The First Prince is late."
"Word says he's en route."
"Tardy."
The emperor muttered wearily. His sharp tone made all in the chamber swallow hard.
Seconds stretched like hours.
Then.
────!
A massive mana surge enveloped the capital. Everyone in the chamber flinched at the grand-scale spell.
"Capital protection magic?"
"My god, what is this?"
The doors opened. No herald announced arrival. The entrant wasn't whom they expected.
A knight shouted urgently.
"Your Majesty, an intruder in the capital!"
"Intruder?"
"Yes! A hole in the protection barrier—the intruder's entered the capital. Currently..."
"Your Majesty!"
Another bloodied knight staggered through the unclosed doors.
Crawling to the throne.
"Who is that?"
"The First Prince's guard knight?"
Murmurs rose. Imperial guards, who'd moved to block, sheathed swords at the emperor's command.
Finally, the knight prostrated before the emperor.
"I see the great Your Majesty!"
"Explain your state. Your master's absence."
"The F-First Prince..."!
The guard choked back tears and fury.
"Was kidnapped by the demon king en route here!"
"......!"
"......!"
"...What?"
The emperor's face twisted.
Nobles panicked.
The guard drove it home.
"Flame! The Flame Demon King annihilated the knight order and abducted His Highness the First Prince!"
The Flame Demon King gave them no time to recover.
The demon king plummeted from the sky without warning.
Like the monster horde that drove Brittania to despair.
Alarms rang through the peaceful capital.
"Hole in the protection barrier! Sector 85-B!"
"Intruder?"
"Unconfirmed!"
"Contact the mage tower immediately—assess barrier damage and request repairs. Dispatch security to intercept the intruder!"
The ever-active capital protection magic took a hit, a gap forming. The intruder slipped through.
"Your Highness. Intruder breached the barrier."
"The empire's prestige is in the sewer."
The First Prince sneered, preparing for the summons.
"Briant territory attacked wasn't enough—now the barrier's pierced?"
The capital, the barrier—they symbolized the empire. How much further could it fall? Absurd.
"Who."
His eyes chilled.
"Still identifying."
"What were the barrier guardians doing?"
"Their bodies found near the breach..."
"Insane."
The barrier was a magical complex built with the capital. Mage tower wizards maintained and reinforced it—unbreachable, the empire believed.
Barrier guardians rivaled the Five Dragon Knights in defending the realm.
Yet they'd fallen, the barrier breached.
"Who did this? The demon king?"
"No demonic mana detected."
Breaching it required extraordinary power. Such mana would leave traces.
"Not a demon king dares invade the imperial capital?"
Absurd. Not arrogance— no fool nation would spark conflict now.
"That's correct."
Suddenly—
────!
The mansion's ceiling shattered. Something crashed down. Thick demonic mana filled the space.
"Enemy!"
The knight order, poised for this moment, drew blades.
But they were down in seconds.
"No one but me has the guts for this."
"...Flame Demon King?"
Blood pooling from his knights, Rufus Jespain didn't flinch.
"Yes."
The intruder replied, sword-red hair whipping, black flames wreathing him.
"The Flame Demon King you've sought so desperately."
"...So bold. Your gall's burst from swelling. You dare invade here?"
"The capital. And the home of First Prince Rufus Jespain."
"Here to kidnap me?"
"Won't deny it."
"Think you can handle it?"
"I've shown plenty already."
"Don't get cocky from one cheap trap!"
"Cheap? The damage was hefty. Everyone knows the empire's summoned all nobles to the capital."
"You...!"
"Yet you couldn't catch me. Couldn't find my tower. Fell into my trap—Stars, hundreds of heroes, tens of thousands dead."
Even so.
"Still no confidence?"
"Don't mock the empire. What you've seen is but a fraction."
"No. I might know the empire's power better than you."
Experienced it firsthand. Clashed endlessly.
"What?"
"I want it. The whole empire thrashing to catch me."
All that fury turning to magic points, making him stronger.
"Insufferable arrogance."
"Arrogance is my specialty."
So you.
"Just be a good prisoner."
The demon king seized Rufus's collar, spreading wings.
Kwa-kwa-kwa—
Black lightning shot skyward afar.
Remnants ignited the mansion.
"...N-No...!"
The surviving guard screamed.
Following the Ninth Princess, the First Prince was kidnapped by the Flame Demon King.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the western seas.
"...This the right way?"
"You feel it too!"
Waves battered. Dozens of ships rocked.
──!
─!
Mana cannons fired in salvo.
Giant sea serpents shrieked. A 10-meter fish monster slammed a hull with its bulk.
"Arrrgh!"
"Fire! Blast 'em!"
Black Eyepatch Pirates' captain Mirel gripped her greatsword, leaping down.
Her rough aura cleaved the monster's head, then she climbed back aboard. The sea turned red.
"Damn, endless."
"Blood drew more. Gotta escape first."
"Who doesn't know? Question is if we're even heading right."
"You feel Lord Demon King's presence growing!"
"That's why I'm saying!"
Captain Alkan of the Black Eyepatch Pirates snapped as Mirel bellowed.
"Why head deeper into open ocean! Lord Demon King's a succubus!"
"Don't blame me! Maybe he built a new tower on some remote isle!"
"Open ocean—where's an isle?!"
"Stop asking me!"
"Damn, should've ignored the escape talk..."
"You'd be corpses! Those bastards tried sacrificing us—go back if you want!"
Another captain, Lui, mediated.
"Enough. Nothing's certain yet. Dodge monsters, get out first."
"Tch."
"Need resupply. No clue where Lord Demon King is—could take ages."
"Hope a good isle shows."
Turn!
Escape now!
The battered flagship with pirate colors sailed north again.
< 179. Demon King and Prince > End