Chapter 412: Chapter 412

A battlefield strewn with the mangled corpses of demons, their forms grotesque and otherworldly.

A cold wind swept across the battlefield, caressing the fallen, passing over the surviving demons, their bodies battered and bruised, their breaths ragged and heavy, and then soared into the sky.

“…Tsk, I thought so.”

High above, at the center of a swirling vortex of wind,

…a beautiful woman, her crimson eyes narrowed in frustration, looked down at the battlefield below, her gaze sweeping across the scene of carnage.

“I lost him. It seems I couldn’t finish him off here.”

Her eyes returned to their normal color, and the swirling wind around her subsided.

She had used 「Seven-Colored Eyes of Domination」, its elemental manipulation ability, to scan the entire area, but she hadn’t found any trace of him.

Hella smacked her lips, a hint of disappointment in her voice, and then stretched her neck, cracking her knuckles.

The Dragon Marquis wasn't an easy opponent, not someone she could defeat in a single battle.

And she had been too focused on preventing him from escaping back to his headquarters to fully utilize her power.

‘…But it’s still a better outcome than I expected.’

She had bought more than enough time.

And it was all thanks to 「Seven-Colored Eyes of Domination」, which she had acquired from the Dragon Marquis himself.

His precognitive eye had allowed her to anticipate and counter his attempts to escape.

‘…Of course, he also had the same ability, so he eventually got away. But there’s nothing he can do now.’

It was too late for him to do anything.

Hella chuckled softly, recalling her gains from this… successful mission.

[“Hella-nim! The initial assessment is complete. We’re currently calculating the detailed casualty reports and categorizing the prisoners of war!”]

A massive Balrog, his wings flapping powerfully, flew towards her and began his report.

It was a tedious but necessary process, as she was the commander-in-chief.

“…Is it because the Dragon Marquis himself joined the battle? It wasn’t even that long, but the casualties are higher than before.”

[“It’s actually… relatively low. It’s all thanks to your consideration, Hella-nim. And many of the enemy forces surrendered after the Dragon Marquis retreated, so we should be able to quickly replenish our losses.”]

Tavares, a Marquis-level demon who had defected from the Dark Nest and was now in charge of Hella’s army, continued his report, his voice calm and steady.

She simply nodded, wondering how he had managed to gather so much information in such a short time.

[“We have complete control over Otorel’s territory, the Dark Nest’s central gate. Their defenses will crumble if we attack now. They’ll be scrambling to come up with a counter-strategy.”]

She had entrusted him with the command of her army because she wasn’t very… knowledgeable in military strategy and tactics.

And he had been a high-ranking commander in the enemy’s forces until recently, so he was familiar with their current situation and their response protocols.

He had even led the Dark Nest’s forces during their invasion of the Burning Inferno, the Fighting Demon Duke’s territory.

“Hmm, so we can dictate the flow of the war now?”

[“Indeed. It’s a strategically important location. I can’t even understand why the Dragon Marquis retreated so easily.”]

‘…He had no choice. There was something more important for him.’

Hella chuckled softly, glancing at Tavares.

His contribution to her current success was significant. He had commanded her forces effectively, like an extension of her own will.

She didn't know why he had betrayed the Dragon Marquis and joined her side, despite being a Balrog like the Fighting Demon Duke…

…but she didn’t care.

As someone who was planning to conquer the entire Demon World, all she needed was… competence.

‘…Well, not all demons of the same race are… friendly. Especially in the Demon World, where betrayal and backstabbing are commonplace.’

The factions in the Demon World were essentially… warlords, their loyalty based on self-interest and the perceived strength of their leader.

In that sense, the Dream Walkers, a faction composed entirely of succubi, were an anomaly.

It was probably due to the 14th Demon King, L’rei’e’s reign, and the subsequent persecution they faced after her death.

‘…Liliana and the Dream Walkers should be able to hold their ground. Now then…’

Helheim wasn’t just fighting on a single front.

Having become one of the three largest factions in the Demon World, they had to defend their expanded territory.

And they also had to be wary of Demoniac, their… temporary ally.

In the Demon World, complaining about being betrayed was… pointless.

‘…Well, I don’t have to worry about them for now. I hope they like my gift.’

Hella, a sinister smile playing on her lips, looked up at the sky.

The purplish sky, the massive sword mark across its center, and the Milky Way beyond…

A beautiful and… unsettling sight.

She stared at it, her mind calming, her thoughts settling.

“…It’s time for the next stage. Now that our allies are… actively assisting us, this is the perfect opportunity.”

Their morale was high, having forced the Dragon Marquis himself to retreat.

And so, Hella, the ruler of Helheim, led her army forward once more.

The Dark Nest’s headquarters.

“Marquis! Are you alright?”

“Your sudden return…”

His subordinates, startled by his unexpected arrival, rushed to his side.

It was a natural reaction. Their leader, the strongest among them, had returned… defeated.

“Get out! You fools!”

But it only fueled his rage.

Even if the existence of the underground ritual chamber was a secret, and they hadn’t noticed anything unusual from outside…

…if they had just… done their jobs properly and protected the headquarters, this wouldn’t have happened!

He brushed them aside, his aura, despite his human form, dark and menacing, and hurried towards the basement.

He tore the Viscount-level ox-headed demon guarding the entrance to shreds with his bare hands, his anger and frustration uncontrollable…

The scene of the crime, preserved perfectly thanks to the tight security, the situation unchanged since the incident.

He walked towards the center of the room, his face grim.

The underground workshop, completely destroyed, reduced to rubble. Only a few splinters of wood, remnants of Sodian’s… body, remained.

But it was enough for him to understand what had happened.

The culprit had not only killed Sodian, but also taken everything from her workshop.

His face twisted in a grimace of rage, and he continued deeper into the basement,

…towards the place where Karakul, the Fighting Demon Duke, had been imprisoned.

Only a puddle of blood remained on the floor.

The restraints, the massive frame, the ritual equipment… everything was gone.

He gritted his teeth, his knuckles turning white, and strode towards the door behind the pillar.

He already knew… but he had to see it with his own eyes.

‘…Ken, that bastard…!’

His blood boiled, his rage uncontrollable.

He had put so much effort into securing this place…

And yet, it had all been for naught.

‘…He couldn’t have done this alone. He must have had help.’

Defeating Sodian, a Marquis-level demon, in her own workshop, a place filled with traps and defenses… it wasn’t something an ordinary demon could do.

And his suspicions were confirmed as soon as he entered the temple.

His roar, filled with rage and frustration, echoed through the massive temple, its walls shaking and trembling as if an earthquake had struck.

It was an unusual reaction. The temple’s defenses, usually so stable, were… fluctuating.

[“How dare you! How dare you! I’ll kill you! I’ll tear you apart—!”]

He roared again, his fury uncontrollable, his only thought to find the culprit and… rip him to shreds.

It wasn’t difficult to narrow down the suspects.

Even if Ken had somehow managed to infiltrate the ritual chamber, there weren’t many in the Demon World who could have done this!

He searched the temple, his senses heightened, his gaze sharp and focused…

…and then he found it.

A small piece of cloth, torn and discarded.

But his senses, incredibly sharp and precise, instantly identified the aura clinging to it.

“Khehehe… I knew it. It was you, after all.”

The evidence, confirming his suspicions, made him chuckle, a sinister sound.

He would have been more cautious, more skeptical, under normal circumstances… but there was only one suspect.

Someone who could defeat Sodian, a Marquis-level demon, in her own workshop, someone who could bypass the temple’s defenses and steal the sacrifices, someone who could even… extract the essence of the 15th Demon King…

[“Pieta—! You bastard—!”]

…Who else could it be but Pieta, the Dark Duke?

This wasn’t something a few Marquis-level demons could accomplish.

And Hella, the leader of Helheim, his other suspect, had been busy fighting him at the time.

‘…How did he even get in here…?!’

That walking corpse, his magic different from ordinary dark magic… he could have used some kind of… secret technique.

And the evidence was right here in his hand.

“So, you want to play games, huh? You were suspiciously quiet lately… You were plotting this in the shadows. You and that mongrel… working together…”

The small piece of cloth in his hand disintegrated, turning into ashes, consumed by the black flames that suddenly erupted from his hand.

And his patience, which he had been maintaining with great effort, finally snapped.

[“Grrrr—! I’ll kill you!”]

He roared again, his fury shaking the very foundations of the temple.

But he didn’t notice it.

The temple itself, as if trying to communicate with him, had been sending him signals since he entered.

But he hadn’t noticed.

He simply turned and stormed out of the temple, his mind consumed by rage,

…preparing to resume the war.

The temple, frustrated, sent another, even stronger signal…

The Dragon Marquis was just a… tenant.

And there were no apostles left to answer its call.

Demonic’s headquarters.

Pieta, the Dark Duke, his body cloaked in black, a goat skull covering his head, blue flames flickering in its eye sockets, looked down at the holographic map displayed before him.

“They’re impressive. To think a new faction could achieve this much…”

He muttered softly, his gaze fixed on Helheim’s symbol, rapidly sweeping across the battlefield.

“I’m glad I made preparations.”

A voice, tinged with amusement, echoed from within the goat skull.

Demonic was ready. They had been waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Helheim might be smaller than the Dark Nest for now… but its growth rate was alarming. It was a potential threat they couldn't ignore.

And their recent victories were proof of that.

‘…They might even be stronger than the Dark Nest already.’

That was why Demoniac had been so passive on the battlefield.

They were conserving their strength, waiting for the right moment to strike, while Helheim and the Dark Nest, too focused on each other, exhausted themselves.

And they were also subtly manipulating the situation, trying to escalate the conflict between the two factions, weakening them both.

“Hehehe, war isn’t just about brute force.”

The Dark Duke, who preferred schemes and conspiracies to open combat, chuckled softly, mocking his rivals’ foolishness.

The more they fought, the better it was for him.

“Your Grace! Your Grace!”

As he was enjoying his… moment of triumph,

…one of his adjutants, his face pale and his voice filled with panic, rushed into the war room.

Something… bad had clearly happened.

Pieta frowned, the blue flames in his eye sockets flickering ominously, and turned to look at him.

If it wasn’t important, he would be punished.

And fortunately for the adjutant,

The situation was far more serious than he had anticipated.

“It’s an all-out attack! The Dark Nest’s entire army is converging on our front lines! And the Dragon Marquis himself…!”

Demonic, who had been waiting in the shadows like a opportunistic scavenger,

…was suddenly dragged into the spotlight.