Chapter 417: Chapter 417

His heart pounded in his chest, its rhythm strong and steady.

Krushaior, the Dragon Marquis… or rather, the being that had once been the Dragon Marquis… delved deeper into his inner self, his consciousness sinking into the depths of his being.

Memories, fragmented and disjointed, flashed through his mind, images of his long and arduous journey.

How he, an ordinary dragon, had come to the Demon World and risen to its pinnacle.

He had faced countless trials and tribulations, enduring hardships and overcoming obstacles, for thousands of years.

And he had finally reached this point, driven by a single, unwavering desire.

To take revenge on those who had wronged him, those who had forced him to flee his homeland.

To become the Demon King, to conquer the Demon World, and then to invade Auterica, to prove that he had been right all along.

It wasn’t him who was wrong, it was the world.

He was the strongest, superior to all others.

It was only natural for him to rule.

And he was certain that he would achieve his goal.

“Hmm~ So you were hiding here? And in that… state?”

Until he heard that voice.

His massive body, coiled within the earth, twitched and writhed, a primal, instinctive reaction.

A familiar voice, a woman’s voice, laced with amusement.

A voice he hated, a voice that had disrupted his plans, a voice that had… ruined everything.

The deafening sound of his heartbeat faded.

…No, it was just his imagination.

His heart was still pounding in his chest.

He just couldn’t hear it, his consciousness focused on the intruder, the source of the voice.

“I was wondering how you were producing so many monsters…”

He ignored her words, her condescending tone, her… tsk-ing sound, and slowly uncoiled his massive body, rising from the earth.

The ground beneath him crumbled, and a cloud of dust and debris rose into the air, the surrounding demonic energy swirling and churning, the earth trembling…

“…You turned your entire body into a… portal to the abyss.”

Hella stared up at the monstrous figure, her eyes wide with… not awe, but disgust.

He was standing in the middle of the Abandoned Lands, the most desolate and barren region of the Demon World.

But he looked… different from before, when they had clashed in the sky.

His body, over a kilometer long, was… grotesque, a monstrous amalgamation of flesh and bone, its form defying description.

And his three pairs of wings, small and insignificant compared to his massive body, were… crudely constructed, as if countless humanoid monsters had been… stitched together.

And it wasn't just his wings. Every part of his body was a… patchwork of mismatched parts.

Countless eyes, staring at her, their gazes cold and hostile.

‘…Ugh, that’s disgusting.’

Hella frowned, her stomach churning, as she looked at the monstrous creature.

More monsters, like insects swarming from a hive, were constantly falling from his massive body, their places quickly filled by new ones, emerging from within.

He was like a… monster factory, churning out an endless supply of grotesque creatures.

“Freshly produced and delivered directly to the battlefield. What… excellent service…”

Of course, no one had asked for such… direct delivery.

Hella’s face hardened as she watched the monsters, detaching from Krushaior’s body, vanishing into thin air, reappearing on various battlefields.

‘…That’s why they’re endless.’

The only way to end this, the only solution, was to eliminate Krushaior, the source of the monsters.

He had been hiding here, knowing that.

“Well, this might actually be… better.”

If they had continued their… conventional warfare, it would have taken much longer.

But now, all she had to do was eliminate this single… madman, and it would all be over.

“I have a lot to do. I can’t waste my time on you. So, I hope you understand.”

She had promised her subordinates that she would be back soon.

And he had crossed the line first. She wouldn't hold back.

She shrugged, winking at him playfully.

The monsters clinging to Krushaior’s body roared in unison, their countless eyes glaring at her, their gazes filled with rage and hatred.

It was an instinctive reaction to the threat she posed.

They stopped detaching from his body and assumed defensive positions… but Hella, ignoring them, continued, her voice calm and steady,

…her aura, her 「Demon King」 power, intensifying with each passing moment.

“…stop making a mess and just die already!”

A ‘world’, a concentrated mass of energy, pierced through his massive body.

High above, the world shrinking below,

…Hesperon, hovering in mid-air with his thrusters, looked down.

At Krushaior, the… former Dragon Marquis, his massive body now twice its original size, thanks to the ever-increasing number of monsters clinging to it.

‘…He’s not a single entity anymore, but a… collective. I have to target the core… but his size is a problem.’

They looked like insignificant minions, swarming like ants… but each one was a powerful demon.

After all, they weren't weak enough to be easily defeated, not if they had managed to disrupt the balance of the Demon World.

And they grew stronger as they gathered, their combined power forming a protective barrier that deflected most attacks.

‘…Even if I manage to injure him, it’ll just regenerate instantly.’

It wasn’t regeneration in the usual sense. The damaged parts simply… fell off, replaced by new ones. Even 「Destroyer」’s anti-regeneration effect wasn’t very effective.

Well, she could probably defeat him eventually, if she had enough time…

‘…But there’s no need for that.’

He shrugged and extended his left arm.

After all, that was why he had come here, after completing his search.

He couldn’t use the Dark Soul he had acquired earlier.

It was too powerful for him to control, and it needed time to… stabilize.

‘…But this is enough for now.’

The problem was the sheer number of monsters, making it difficult to pinpoint the core’s location.

So, he had to reduce their numbers first.

‘…And for pure firepower, this is the best!’

A targeting reticle appeared on his HUD, displaying various data: distance, wind speed, humidity…

The Dragon Heart, the core of Titan’s power source, began to glow, its energy intensifying.

As he spoke, a large, metallic object, shimmering and distorting the air around it, emerged from his left shoulder.

A massive cannon barrel, retrieved from his 「Subspace Storage」, connected to the Titan armor on his left arm.

The ‘Ion Cannon’, a weapon of mass destruction recently completed by Howard, its core powered by a Dragon Heart, resonated with Titan’s circuits, their energies merging and amplifying each other.

A weapon that shouldn’t exist in this world, a fusion of technology and magic, defying the laws of Auterica, thanks to 「Technological Revolution」.

An immense amount of energy converged within its barrel, a destructive light leaking from its muzzle.

…from the heavens to the earth,

…a massive beam of light descended.

He wasn’t the only one attacking.

A domain of death, spreading outwards, melted the monsters on the ground, and a storm of blood, cold and merciless, turned them into puddles of gore, their numbers replenished instantly, only to be annihilated again and again.

And then, a massive monster, its body wreathed in madness, and a dragon, unleashing its fiery breath, joined the fray, and Krushaior’s massive body, its regenerative abilities unable to keep up with the onslaught, began to shrink.

Of course, he wasn’t just standing there and taking it.

As if to prove that his ability wasn’t limited to producing monsters, he unleashed his full power, his six Eyes of Domination glowing brightly, distorting space, sacrificing his own creations to spread abyssal corruption…

[“Khehehe… To use the Instant Death eye against me… You underestimate me.”]

“Precognition… It’s more than just… seeing the future. It’s quite troublesome.”

“Khahaha! It tickles! It tickles!”

[“Cough, cough! Why are you so persistent?! And the air here is terrible!”]

They were facing the wrong opponents.

Each one a formidable foe, even in a one-on-one fight.

And they were working together, their attacks coordinated, their movements synchronized, their minds connected…

He didn’t stand a chance.

Krushaior, his massive body now reduced to its original size, roared in frustration.

As if demanding a fair fight, a one-on-one duel.

But Hella, her confidence unwavering, didn’t even blink.

“What’s wrong? Is that all you’ve got? You sacrificed yourself for this?”

Her mocking words, her condescending tone, only fueled his rage.

He glared at her, his six eyes burning with hatred and fury, his murderous intent palpable.

[“…Fine! I’ll take you down with me, even if it means sacrificing my last remaining fragment!”]

And then, unlike before, when he had only been growling and snarling, a roar, filled with rage and desperation, erupted from him.

…his aura shifted, its nature changing.

His presence, his very essence, began to… transform.

Hans, the Immortal King, was the first to react.

He sensed a familiar energy, a dark and sinister aura, emanating from Krushaior.

It was the same energy he had encountered once before, an ominous presence that resonated with the 「Immortal Heart」 within his chest.

And Harley, who possessed the 「Seed of Madness」, also sensed it.

A gaze, a presence, from beyond the abyss, from within Krushaior’s monstrous body.

The very world itself seemed to be rejecting it, the air distorting and twisting, trying to… expel it… but it wasn’t strong enough.

‘…He didn’t sacrifice everything. He was saving it for last.’

But now, cornered and desperate, he had finally unleashed it.

His final gamble, his last resort, his… everything, offered as a sacrifice to take Hella down with him.

And it was a wish that aligned perfectly with… ‘that being’s’ intentions.

The connection strengthened, the bond between them growing stronger.

There was no way to interrupt it.

‘…This is dangerous.’

It wouldn't last long.

But it was a fragment of a god, a being who had once defied the Main God himself.

Even in its weakened and imprisoned state, it was more than enough to… eliminate a few newly awakened divine sparks.

‘…Should I just… retreat?’

As she was seriously considering her options,

…she suddenly paused, her body twitching slightly.

Her eyes, their pupils glowing with a strange light, darted around, as if reading something written in the air.

And then, a faint smile appeared on her lips.

《Your influence as a Demon King has increased. Your presence has become more distinct.》

《Your accumulated karma has reached a critical point.》

She had just… crossed a line, a boundary, a… threshold.

And then, as if to confirm it, a series of messages appeared before her.

《Achievement Unlocked! You have become a ‘Demon King’, the ruler of the Demon World.》

《You have ended the long war and become the undisputed ruler of the Demon World. You have acquired the perk “World Invasion”.》

《You have achieved a world-altering feat. Karma increased.》

Even as she fought, Helheim’s influence had been steadily growing.

Or rather, it had grown even faster because of the crisis.

After all, with all her rivals eliminated, her victory was… inevitable.

It was just a matter of time before the demons of the Demon World realized it.

‘…Perhaps the Demon God gave me an advance payment.’

Considering the timing, it was a likely scenario.

But that wasn’t important right now.

What mattered was… what she could do now, as a true Demon King.

‘…Now I understand why the Demon God hasn’t been reacting.’

She finally understood.

What the Demon God had sacrificed, and why the Demon King’s position was so important in the Demon World.

‘…The Demon King is the key to ruling the Demon World.’

A god couldn’t directly interfere in the mortal world.

And the Demon God, though less restricted than the Main God, was still bound by certain rules and regulations.

But to counter the imprisoned god, it needed a way to… bypass those restrictions.

“I am Hella, the 16th Demon King.”

And that was the Demon King.

The Demon God’s messenger, entrusted with the authority to rule the Demon World.

‘…Though there are limits, as the 15th demonstrated.’

A ‘world’ materialized in her hand.

It wasn’t just the surrounding area.

The entire Demon World, converging and compressing, had become a massive sword, its power under her complete control.

She had long since adapted to the power of 「Demon King」.

“Krushaior, you who have disrupted the order of the Demon World—”

Her target was Krushaior, whose… summoning ritual was still in progress.

After all, even with a reservation, you couldn't buy anything without paying.

“—I sentence you to death.”

And as she swung the world in her hand,

…a new scar, intersecting with the one already across the Demon World’s sky,