Chapter 403: Chapter 403

The Dragon Marquis, preparing to finish off his opponent, felt his six eyes twitch involuntarily.

His senses, far surpassing those of ordinary beings, sharp and precise, had detected something… unusual.

…the atmosphere had shifted, the very air itself changing in an instant.

The flow of energy, which he had been meticulously controlling, had suddenly… broken free, escaping his grasp and surging towards an unknown destination.

[“Ha! A last-ditch effort! But it’s too late!”]

But he didn’t falter. He pressed his attack, his resolve unwavering.

Even with her high level mitigating the effects, there was no way she could withstand his next attack.

A dark, swirling energy, like a miniature black hole, began to form in his maw.

And at the same time, countless magic circles, covering several kilometers of the sky above, appeared around him.

His unique technique, linked to his breath attack.

A strategic weapon, capable of unleashing a devastating bombardment across a wide area.

‘This is the end! Let’s see you survive this!’

The surrounding magic power surged and swirled, drawn towards him like a vortex.

The demons on the ground below, sensing the ominous energy fluctuations, instinctively looked up at the sky.

A torrent of destruction, unavoidable and inescapable, its range encompassing every possible escape route.

And Hella, her body battered and bruised, blood trickling from the corner of her lips…

“Pfft! I have to admit, that’s impressive.”

…laughed, her voice filled with amusement, her demeanor calm and unconcerned.

As if she wasn’t facing imminent death, her body about to be consumed by a wave of pure, unadulterated destruction.

The massive magic circle in the sky, its intricate components falling into place, continued to grow, slowly but surely approaching completion.

It was too late to disrupt its formation now.

Even if a part of it was damaged, it would simply… adapt and rebuild itself, like a living organism.

“Hehehe, but I’m still better than you, stuck here and throwing a tantrum. Too bad.”

Of course, even the most sophisticated magic had its weaknesses.

It was just… incredibly difficult to exploit them in this situation.

“Thank you for the… gift. Now, if you’ll excuse me—”

Hella’s crimson eyes began to glow, their light flickering and shifting.

Red, blue, yellow, white…

…and then, finally, black.

Her pupils, no longer distinguishable from the surrounding darkness, like two black orbs, were fixed on a single point.

The center of the magic circle, its core, its most vulnerable point.

[“Would you mind… dying?”]

Krushaior, the Dragon Marquis.

[“What?! Ugh! Cough! Gah! This is… impossible…!”]

Blood gushed from the Dragon Marquis’s massive body.

The power of ‘Instant Death’, invading his body and mind.

The dark energy he had been gathering for his breath attack dissipated harmlessly.

And as the uncontrolled energy rampaged within him, the massive magic circle in the sky, its intricate components no longer synchronized, began to crumble and collapse.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

No, in this case, it was more like… a tooth for a whole set of teeth.

The Dragon Marquis, his six eyes wide with shock and disbelief, blood streaming down his face, glared at his opponent.

‘…An Instant Death eye? Her eye… changed? Domination and now Instant Death?’

His mind raced, his thoughts a chaotic mess.

An Eye Clan member was born with a single Eye of Domination, their unique and innate ability.

Awakening a new Eye of Domination later in life was… unheard of.

And there was no way she could have received it from another Eye Clan member.

…he had eliminated them all!

The past, which he had thought he had buried, resurfaced, a ghost haunting him.

Krushaior, the Dragon Marquis.

He was the undisputed strongest in the current Demon World… but he hadn’t always been this powerful.

He had faced countless life-or-death situations, each one shaping him into the monster he was today.

As Hella had pointed out, he was a fugitive, a dragon who had broken the rules and fled to the Demon World.

A long time ago, during his Juvenile stage,

…he had realized something… unsettling.

‘…Why do we, the dragons, the greatest beings in existence, have to live in hiding? Even those insignificant insects, the humans, have built their own civilizations and are worshipped by their inferiors, living as they please. And yet, we, who are far superior, are bound by these… ridiculous rules!’

Dragons were superior to all other races.

They were born with immense power, capable of crushing most opponents with their innate abilities, and their magic and physical strength continued to grow as they aged.

Even transcendence, a trial that most other races struggled to achieve, was a mere formality for them.

But there was one major drawback.

Their immense power came with restrictions, preventing them from using it freely.

Krushaior resented those rules, and he also despised his fellow dragons, who blindly followed them.

‘…We, I, am the true ruler of this world! And yet…!’

…Of course, he knew the reason.

To maintain harmony and balance, to protect the world from chaos and destruction.

All their abilities, their very existence, were for that purpose. It was the dragons’ destiny, their reason for being.

He had known it instinctively since birth.

‘A dragon’s destiny? Predetermined fate? What a joke!’

But unlike the other dragons, he couldn’t accept it.

It wasn’t a matter of intelligence.

He had been born this way. He couldn't change his nature.

And he couldn’t imagine enduring this… this… dragon’s life for thousands of years.

He suppressed his resentment, his frustration, his rebellious spirit…

…and then, he finally reached adulthood, gaining his independence.

And as soon as he was free from the elders’ watchful eyes, he began his… project.

[“To break the chains that bind us, to transcend our limitations. Ordinary methods won’t suffice.”]

He was a master of magic, knowledgeable in all its forms, and he knew the perfect solution.

Dark magic, a power that defied the natural order, a force that could twist and manipulate fate itself.

‘…I have time. I won’t be reckless. I’ll proceed cautiously, one step at a time… and eventually, I’ll reach my goal.’

Unlike the other complacent dragons, he was driven by an almost… human ambition, his meticulous planning and execution a testament to his determination.

He sacrificed entire villages and cities, instigated wars in the human world to gather negative energy, and even created a secret organization to manipulate the world from the shadows.

But he always remained hidden, a step removed from the action, avoiding any direct involvement.

And after about a thousand years,

[“…Who are you? How did you find this place?”]

-“Don’t be alarmed. I’m here to help you. Or rather… our interests align.”

[“Ha! Such arrogance from an insignificant insect. Very well. I’ll just… extract the information from your brain.”]

-“It seems I’ll have to introduce myself later.”

Their first encounter hadn’t been… pleasant, but the apostle who had suddenly appeared had become a valuable asset, a… partner in crime.

Thanks to him, he had even managed to hunt down and sacrifice several of his fellow dragons, their bodies and souls offered as tribute to the dark powers he was seeking.

‘…You complacent fools! Be grateful that you can at least be of some use to me.’

But a long tail was bound to be stepped on.

No matter how careful he was, he couldn't be perfect forever.

After another thousand years, his actions were finally discovered, and he was hunted down by the other dragons.

[“Krushaior! You’ve defied the sacred laws!”]

[“You’ve broken countless rules. How long have you been disrupting the order… You shall atone for your sins with your life!”]

Thanks to his dark magic and the sacrifices he had offered, his power far surpassed that of an ordinary dragon of his age… but when the entire dragon race mobilized to eliminate him, he had no choice but to flee.

‘…You fools! You’ve become slaves to the gods, abandoning your freedom! I’ll be back! And I’ll devour you all alive!’

He managed to escape to the Demon World with the apostle’s help and began to modify his body, adapting to the new environment.

Thanks to his research, his attempts to transcend the limitations of his species, it wasn't a difficult process.

He absorbed the Demon World’s energy, transforming his body, using the demons he hunted as materials, slowly turning himself into a demon.

‘…This is… an opportunity! I can transcend the limitations of dragons here, in the Demon World! Not just an Ancient Dragon… or a Dragon Lord…!’

His goal was now singular.

To become the Demon King, the ruler of the Demon World.

And then, he would return to Auterica, the land he had been forced to flee, and bring the entire world to its knees!

He fought against the high-ranking demons and their armies, enduring countless battles, his determination unwavering, his only goal to become the Demon King.

And his relentless struggle, his endless battles, had made him stronger.

He absorbed his opponents’ power, their knowledge, their very essence.

…he couldn’t reach his goal.

He hadn’t even expected to win during the selection of the 12th Demon King.

He had been too weak, so he had voluntarily joined the most promising candidate’s faction, quietly building his strength under his rule.

But after the 12th Demon King returned from his invasion of Auterica, severely injured…

…he had begun to make his move, his presence becoming more and more prominent.

And finally, having reached Duke level, Krushaior, the Dragon Marquis, confidently participated in the selection of the 13th Demon King…

‘…Damn it, I almost had it! I didn’t expect him to have so many followers charmed by his Eyes of Domination! Nothing’s going according to plan!’

He had been dominating the competition, the Demon King’s throne within his grasp…

…and then, at the last moment, he had lost, by a narrow margin, to an Eye Clan member.

‘…Huu… Haa… It can’t be helped. It’s fine. I’ll definitely win next time.’

He had been disappointed, but he quickly recovered his composure and began preparing for the next selection.

He had undergone years of mental training. He wouldn’t be discouraged by a single setback.

During the selection of the 14th Demon King…

[“Kyaaa! L’rei’e! You mongrel!”]

…he lost again, by an even narrower margin.

And this time, his opponent was the daughter of his rival, the 13th Demon King, a young girl barely a few hundred years old.

It was a humiliating defeat, a blow to his pride.

Of course, there were… extenuating circumstances.

His faction, carefully cultivated and nurtured over the years, was powerful… but it wasn’t enough to overcome the combined forces of the former Demon King’s followers, the Eye Clan, and the Dream Walkers, the Succubus Queen’s faction.

And L’rei’e, with her captivating charm, inherited from her father, the 13th Demon King, had even managed to sway the neutral factions and some of his own supporters.

‘…The Eyes of Domination! Again!’

The Eye Clan, a minority race in the Demon World, their numbers dwindling… but their innate ability, the Eyes of Domination, was incredibly powerful, especially the ‘Domination’ type, considered the strongest among them.

A dark and unsettling emotion, a burning resentment, began to fester within him, consuming his very being.

He didn’t even try to suppress it.

“Hehehe, hello there. I’ve heard a lot about you from… my predecessor. Please take care of me.”

An apostle of a god, appearing out of nowhere, his face perpetually cheerful, his laughter almost… unsettling.

“…You seem to have something on your mind. Hehehe! Perhaps I can… help you?”

He didn’t hesitate. He accepted the offer.

The apostle was incredibly capable, his abilities… useful.

He seemed to be the solution to his current predicament.

And so, with the apostle’s assistance, he began to plot a revolution, a coup to overthrow the Demon World’s existing power structure.

He formulated various plans and successfully executed them.

He exploited the other Dukes’ anxieties about the upcoming invasion of Auterica, turning them against L’rei’e.

He subtly manipulated events, ensuring the invasion’s failure, and then focused on eliminating the remaining members of the expeditionary force.

‘…The other Dukes interfered, so I couldn’t completely destroy the Dream Walkers…’

They had sensed his growing power and were trying to contain him.

But fortunately, he had been able to eliminate the Eye Clan, his primary target.

They weren't weak, but they had suffered heavy losses during the invasion of Auterica, making them vulnerable.

‘…And I gained quite a bit from it.’

Krushaior, the Dragon Marquis, conducted countless experiments on his captured subjects.

He deciphered the secrets of the Eyes of Domination and successfully transplanted six of them into his own body, choosing the ones he found most… appealing.

And when he saw the young boy with the ‘Instant Death’ eye, he realized something.

If he hadn’t taken action, if he had simply waited for the next Demon King selection…

…he wouldn't have had a chance.

His revolution had been the right decision.

The boy’s Instant Death ability hadn't worked on him.

The arrogant child, glaring at him defiantly as his fellow clan members perished, had been driven to despair, his power useless against him, and then… died a miserable death.

“Hmm, is this how it feels? It’ll take some time to get used to.”

…a hybrid demon, her aura strangely similar to the deceased L’rei’e,

…was using the same power he had thought he had completely eradicated and stolen.

Her gaze fixed on him.

“Well, practice makes perfect. Shall we try the others as well?”

Perhaps he had been mistaken.

There was no way that boy, even if he had survived and grown stronger, could have surpassed… this.

‘…Not just Instant Death. She has all of them…!’

Hella’s eyes began to glow, their colors shifting and changing.