Chapter 413: Chapter 413

An all-out war, a clash between two of the Demon World’s most powerful factions, had begun.

The Dark Nest, still considered the strongest despite their recent setbacks and the growing unease among their members.

And Demoniac, who had been quietly gathering their strength, their actions seemingly passive, while Helheim continued its rapid rise.

The war, which began as a series of skirmishes along their shared border, quickly escalated, spreading like wildfire to every territory where their influence overlapped.

It had become a full-scale conflict, with both Dukes, the leaders of their respective factions, personally leading their forces on the front lines.

[“You! Pieta! I’ll tear off your head and mount it on my wall!”]

“Kuh, Dragon Marquis, what’s the meaning of this sudden… escalation? An all-out war isn’t beneficial for either of us.”

[“Don’t play coy! Do you think I don’t know what you’ve been doing?!”]

“…I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He had been careful, waiting for the right moment to act, while the Dark Nest was preoccupied with Helheim…

‘…What did he discover? The secret tunnels? The brainwashed executives? Or… the spies we planted in their headquarters? He seems… quite agitated. It must be something serious. Or perhaps…’

There were too many possibilities.

He had been… quite active in his attempts to undermine the Dark Nest.

‘…Perhaps he discovered everything. I was careless. I thought it was strange that he was losing so badly against Helheim… Was he… wary of me all along?’

He desperately tried to analyze the situation.

It seemed like he had been… thoroughly exposed.

The Dragon Marquis, also unable to reveal his true intentions, had misinterpreted Pieta’s silence and… overreacted.

And even if Pieta had tried to defend himself, it wouldn’t have mattered.

The Dragon Marquis already knew about his… penchant for schemes and conspiracies.

That’s why it was important to maintain a good reputation.

[“I’ll kill you first! And then I’ll deal with that mongrel!”]

“Ha! You underestimate me. Do you think I’m as easy to defeat as that fool, Karakul?”

A roar of rage, a torrent of fire, and then Pieta, the Dark Duke, a master of spatial manipulation, unleashed his magic.

A wave of destructive energy, and a counter-spell, twisting and distorting space itself, deflecting the attack.

A beam of distorted magic power, laced with deadly toxins, shot towards the dragon’s massive body… but it was effortlessly dispersed by the combined power of ‘Precognition’ and ‘Annihilation’.

A fierce exchange, a clash of titans, their attacks shaking the entire battlefield.

It was a close fight, but the outcome was… predetermined.

[“Do you think you can defeat me alone?! I am Krushaior, the Dragon Marquis! The strongest in the Demon World! I’ll soon surpass even the Demon King!”]

Despite his exhaustion from his recent battle against Hella, Krushaior was dominating the fight, his power and skill overwhelming his opponent.

He was proving that his title, ‘the strongest in the Demon World’, wasn't just an empty boast.

Pieta, unable to gain the upper hand, was forced to retreat, even at the cost of exposing his forces to the enemy’s attacks.

If he was defeated here, it would be the end.

‘…I’ll retreat for now. But this isn’t over.’

He hadn’t expected to win a direct confrontation.

That wasn’t his style.

He had been preparing for this, his numerous schemes and conspiracies his true weapons.

[“Kyaaa—! Kill! Eat! Hungry!”]

“Damn it! I should have just switched sides… Ugh!”

His subordinates, caught in the crossfire, were being slaughtered by the grotesque white monsters… but casualties were inevitable on the battlefield.

The Dark Duke, thanks to their sacrifice, managed to escape.

“You’re really going to do this? Fine! I won’t hold back anymore!”

He immediately unleashed all his preparations, his carefully laid plans finally put into action.

The Dark Nest’s territory was plunged into chaos, attacks and assassinations occurring everywhere, their organization disrupted and their forces scattered.

[“Ignore the minor damage. Our priority is eliminating Pieta.”]

But the Dragon Marquis, leading his forces on the front lines, didn’t care.

He pressed his attack, his army of white monsters, their movements mechanical and emotionless, their only desire to kill and destroy, relentlessly advancing.

Demoniac, seeing the situation deteriorating, desperately tried to contact Helheim, their supposed ally…

-“Our forces are exhausted. Unlike some factions, we’ve been fighting non-stop, every single day. We managed to reach the Dark Nest’s headquarters, but…”

…but their request for reinforcements was denied.

They apologized and promised to attack the Dark Nest’s rear once they had regrouped and recovered.

The Dark Duke, receiving the message through his adjutant, slammed his fist on the table, shattering it and sending debris flying.

He didn’t care about the damage.

“…Fools! Don’t they realize they’ll be next if we fall?!”

The Dark Nest’s aggressive stance was partly due to Helheim’s sudden change in strategy.

They had been pushing towards the Dark Nest’s headquarters, their advance relentless… but now, they had suddenly slowed down, focusing on consolidating their gains and establishing forward bases.

He looked down at the map, his voice low and grim.

His various schemes and preparations had bought him some time, but it wouldn't matter if they continued to lose on the front lines.

His subordinates were starting to panic, their morale wavering.

‘…Tsk, I might have to… surrender.’

It was an option he hadn't considered before… but it was better than being killed by those fanatics.

Of course, he was still… hesitant.

After all, the last time he had faced a similar situation, during the selection of the 15th Demon King…

…he had been the dominant force, but the throne had gone to Tanuin, the ambitious and persistent demon who had refused to give up.

If he had surrendered back then, perhaps he would have become the 15th Demon King himself.

So, he wasn’t planning to give up so easily this time.

‘…Though Helheim is a variable…’

But his immediate priority was dealing with the Dark Nest.

He had prepared countermeasures against Helheim during the… lull in the fighting.

The Dark Duke, clinging to a sliver of hope, racked his skull-like head, desperately searching for a way to turn the situation around,

…to seize the Demon King’s throne.

But at the same time,

…Hella, whom he considered a mere… variable, was plotting her own schemes.

“Good work, Ken. It was a difficult mission.”

“It was nothing, Hella-nim! I couldn’t have done it without Davidson, whom you sent me. I just… guided him.”

“Don’t be so modest. You played a crucial role in our success.”

Ken, kneeling before Hella, his face flushed with emotion, was clearly touched by her praise, her gentle smile, and her kind words.

It was understandable.

After all, this mission had essentially been a… power-leveling event for him.

An artificial consciousness, inhabiting an artificial body…

…he had been reborn as a true individual, thanks to this mission.

And he had also become a Marquis-level demon.

‘…If it wasn’t for Davidson… I would have been consumed by that curse, even if I had somehow managed to reach the temple. I wouldn’t have even been able to witness my original self’s final moments…’

Of course, the mysterious hero had also played a role… but that didn’t diminish Hella’s contribution.

After all, he had survived those dangerous encounters thanks to Davidson, whom she had sent him.

Hella, sensing his gratitude, chuckled softly and asked,

“So, the previous Demon King’s remains? Any progress?”

They had acquired many things from the temple.

Including the remnants of the 15th Demon King, Tanuin, which the Dragon Marquis had been collecting for centuries.

And Ken, sharing a common origin with those remains, could absorb them and enhance his potential.

“…I’m ashamed to admit this, but… I haven’t been able to… achieve any significant results. Perhaps it would be better to just… give the rest to Davidson…”

“Hmm, I expected as much. You’re still… new to this. It’s greedy to expect immediate results. And Davidson is fine. He might be a glutton, but he doesn't need that much.”

Davidson… or rather, Harley… wasn’t interested in the meat itself, but in the genetic information contained within.

Of course, consuming the remains of powerful beings was beneficial… but it wasn't very efficient to invest in him any further, not at his current level.

After all, the former Demon King’s soul and essence had been transformed into a curse, and his body was… well, not exactly in pristine condition.

‘…It’s more efficient to… invest in Ken.’

If there had been no other options, she would have just… devoured the remains herself, like she had done with the Duke-level demons…

…but she now had a valuable… subordinate.

“Don’t rush it. Just… try to… establish a connection. I’ll help you if you can just… get started.”

“Ah…! Thank you, Hella-nim! I haven’t even repaid your previous kindness, and yet…”

Ken, his voice filled with gratitude, prostrated himself before her, his forehead touching the floor.

Hella, who had simply been planning to… use him, felt a pang of… something… but she quickly dismissed it.

‘…Well, it’s a win-win situation. He’ll be happy to return to Earth.’

Even if he wasn’t the real Miyamoto Ken, he still possessed his memories and a part of his soul, thanks to the contract.

The only thing that had changed was his body.

If his mind and soul were the same, he was practically… the same person.

Having concluded her meeting with Ken,

Hella walked through her newly established forward base, inspecting its defenses.

She had taken over Otorel’s territory, a key location for the Dark Nest, and then subdued the surrounding factions, establishing a new stronghold.

‘…Of course, this is just a… facade.’

A sinister smile played on her lips.

The true value of this base wasn’t its defenses… but something she had installed within.

She nodded slowly, having confirmed its status.

‘…Perfect. It’s ready. The divine fragment made things much easier.’

Another… souvenir from the temple.

Having acquired the artifact that had led to the previous Demon King’s downfall, she could finally begin her plan.

The divine fragment had fulfilled the… remaining requirements for her… Demon Kinghood.

With a mixture of gratitude towards the Dragon Marquis, who had so generously provided her with such a valuable item, and towards the Dark Duke, who was unknowingly buying her time and diverting her enemies’ attention,

…Hella smiled brightly and took a step forward.

Her first step towards conquering the Demon World.

Serentata, a Marquis-level demon guarding the Dark Nest’s headquarters, frowned.

And then, she immediately headed towards the source of the… anomaly.

With the Dragon Marquis himself leading the forces on the front lines, the importance of protecting the headquarters, the heart of their operations, couldn’t be overstated.

She was on high alert, her senses heightened, and she couldn't tolerate even the slightest hint of danger.

It was only natural for her to investigate personally.

If she failed again, like last time, the Dragon Marquis wouldn’t just… scold her.

She arrived at the scene and saw…

…a figure, radiating a strange and unsettling aura.

‘…How? The gates are under strict control!’

She dismissed the possibility of it being a… resident. She would have remembered meeting someone .

Even if she hadn’t met them personally, she would have at least… heard rumors.

“Oh my, you’re early. You have good instincts.”

Two long, sharp horns, crimson eyes with black pupils, an elaborate and flamboyant outfit, and an overwhelming aura of… seductive power.

Her gaze, meeting Serentata’s, seemed to… pierce through her defenses, invading her mind, and she gritted her teeth, realizing who it was.

[“Hella… the leader of Helheim…!”]

She didn’t have time to ask how she had bypassed the gates and infiltrated their headquarters, or why she had dared to come here alone.

The world around her… shifted.

Not completely, but… as if two worlds were overlapping, a desolate wasteland superimposed on the familiar scenery.

And it wasn’t just a visual effect.

From beyond the wasteland, from the other side of the… veil,

…an army of demons, their auras sharp and intense, their morale high, marched towards them in perfect formation.

This was the Dark Nest’s headquarters, the most secure location in the Demon World, the Dragon Marquis’s lair.

No one could enter without permission.

“…Do I need permission to visit my own territory?”

…Hella, the rightful ruler of the Demon World, the Demon King, smiled.