The Demon Realm, a land of struggle where violence and war were endless.
But apart from its notoriety, the Demon Realm was also a world where intelligent beings formed civilizations and lived.
Even if the war had lasted for hundreds of years, not all areas could be battlefields all year round, and most regions still maintained their societies within their own systems and rules.
"What, you bastard? I'll kill you!"
"Oh yeah, let's do it! I'll finish you off this time!"
"Ooh! Are they fighting! Hey, there's a fight here!"
"Kelok! Show them what you're made of! Show them the pride of the Marang tribe!"
Even if such a society was severely distorted from the perspective of other intelligent beings, it was still a part of their culture.
In fact, it wasn't strange that the nature of the demons, residents of the Demon Realm filled with negative energy, leaned towards violence.
"Isn't it nice to see them so lively? It's all thanks to the anticipation that the long war will soon end as the 'Dark Nest' gains the upper hand. Ah! Of course, it's also thanks to the Koatl family, who are part of that."
The Doberman-headed demon who was guiding Hela inside looked at the commotion on one side of the road and spoke.
It seemed like a ritualistic remark made after seeing an everyday scene, and that was all the reaction there was.
'...Can I just pass that off as lively?'
A large group surrounding them and two demons in the center starting to fight.
Neither of them seemed to be of a high level, but the ferocity of their fight could not be ignored.
"Die!"
"Kill him! Kill! Kill!"
"What are you doing, Kelok! Bite him to death!"
Both did their best to destroy the other's body.
The blood and flesh splattering from the attacks exchanged with the intent to truly kill each other, and the cheering crowd watching the scene.
'Is it because regeneration is a common ability for demons? They fight quite fiercely.'
Was this the difference in cultures?
Such a fight was happening openly in the middle of the street; it was truly a sight that made her realize that this was the infamous Demon Realm.
They didn't even need to eat if they were supplied with magic power; weren't they literally biological weapons born to fight?
"We've arrived. Please come this way."
After a while of observing the reality of the Demon Realm, which she had only heard about.
Hela, who was being guided, soon arrived at a large mansion in the center of the castle.
As if the words "prepared in advance" were true, someone was already waiting at the front door of the mansion.
"Kuhung—! Welcome. I am Dalun, the lord of this land."
The lord, who was the highest-ranking person in this castle, came to greet her personally.
It was an extremely courteous welcome.
'To be so subservient to the words "Koatl family"... At this rate, it's safe to say they're completely subordinate, right?'
Hela quickly grasped the situation, hiding her expression with a haughty attitude.
It seemed that they had also quickly sided with the 'Dark Nest' to which the Koatl family belonged right after the balance of the battlefield had collapsed.
On the way to the mansion with the lord who had personally come to greet her.
Dalun, the boar-headed demon, sniffed roughly and frowned slightly, lowering his voice.
"Khrrrng-sniff! By the way, I didn't expect someone from Koatl to visit so suddenly without any notice... And a completely unfamiliar face at that. I suppose the usual area supervisor must have been busy seeing as you've come in their place?"
As expected of a lord, he was impressive in that he didn't show an overly subservient attitude while still being polite.
Unlike his subordinates who were busy trying to cope with the situation, he immediately grasped the suspicious points and subtly brought them up.
'He's not bad. Well, that Dalun guy is also a noble demon.'
A member of the next dominant force had suddenly visited, so he had hurriedly prepared and come to greet her, but what he actually faced was someone he had never seen before, so it was a natural reaction.
Even though it was the lowest rank among the titles, being a Baron-level demon in this Demon Realm, where ability was paramount, was proof of his own qualities.
'Well, it's all the same to me.'
Anyway, there was one efficient and surefire way to respond in this situation.
"Huhu, are you questioning why I came here?"
"Huh? No, that..."
Overpowering them with force.
This was the Demon Realm, a land of struggle where violence and coercion were rampant.
A faint sense of pressure emanated from Hela's body.
"······!"
Before Lord Dalun could even open his mouth, the remnants of an overwhelming force occupied all sides of him and bared their fangs.
It was a power that a mere Baron-level demon could not even dare to approach.
Gulp—
The lord swallowed hard.
His whole body stiffened and his face gradually turned pale.
Although it wasn't visible because he was covered in boar fur.
"Ah, right. You're getting irritated just standing there obediently, aren't you? Because you have to obediently follow the words of a woman you feel you could easily take down?"
"Ah, no... It's not like that..."
Sophism that forcibly twisted the topic and an overt display of power.
And the unpleasantly furrowed brow, tightly crossed arms, and the hair flowing down her slightly tilted head.
It was the very image of a superior bullying their subordinate.
"Then what is it? Are you saying I came where I shouldn't have? Huh? Is that what you mean?"
"...No. I apologize. It was a slip of the tongue."
In the end, Dalun had no choice but to shut his mouth.
Even though he hadn't done anything wrong, it couldn't be helped.
In this Demon Realm, asserting one's opinion without power was a serious crime punishable by death.
'At least Count-level, maybe even higher. Where did such a monster come from... Is she really from the Koatl family? If they didn't pull back their core forces from the battlefield because they had a surplus of troops...'
All sorts of thoughts raced through his head.
From how to appease the anger of the unidentified strong person next to him to concerns about the worst-case scenario that would arise if he moved according to her will.
'The worst case is if this woman is from another faction. The war is already over. If I forcibly side with another faction now and get retaliated against by the Dark Nest...'
Then it would only be a matter of whether he died now or later; there was no future for him.
A desperate situation where he couldn't do anything.
'Let's pretend to cooperate for now. Then, if I secretly contact the Dark Nest and explain the situation well, I might even be able to make a contribution...'
Dalun racked his brains to find a way out.
Contrary to his appearance, which seemed to blindly follow only power, he was a demon who preferred strategy.
Crisis is opportunity; if he used this well—.
"Pfft."
But then.
A low chuckle escaped from beside him.
There was no need to say who it came from.
"Why are you so stiff? I'm kidding, kidding."
"Ah, ahaha... I see. My, I was surprised."
"Huhu, wasn't it fun?"
It was a really unfunny joke.
But he didn't have the guts to say it honestly.
It wasn't like that warning was really a joke.
"...This is the reception room of our castle. Let's go inside and talk more..."
"Well, this is good enough. It's quiet, so there won't be any interruptions. Excellent."
"Huh?"
As he was trying to manage his expression, incomprehensible words came out again.
No, that wasn't all.
Saaa—
"What...!"
The atmosphere changed.
His body stopped as he hurriedly turned his head to look at the suspicious guest beside him.
But it wasn't his will at all.
'Kugh, her eyes...?'
The opponent's eyes had changed.
From ordinary eyes that were simply beautiful to inverse eyes with ruby-like pupils shining in the center of black eyeballs.
And as if he were captivated by them, he couldn't take his eyes off that pair of eyes.
"Now, relax. It's no use resisting anyway, so let's just go comfortably? We have a long way to go."
Now that he looked, the opponent's horns had also changed shape, but he didn't have time to examine them more closely.
His mind had long since been sucked into those red eyes, as if it had fallen into an inescapable quagmire.
"Yes, yes. Good boy, Dalun. First, can you call the leaders of this castle one by one? I'm not used to working on multiple people at once yet."
"...Yes. As you command, Master."
As Dalun, bewitched by the 'Eyes of Dominance', answered politely, Hela smiled contentedly and patted his sturdy shoulder.
To think she would get a chance to meet the master of a castle so easily.
It still took considerable limitations and time to take over a high-ranking demon, so she couldn't help but be pleased that she had an environment where she could work without outside interference.
'Then it doesn't matter if I couldn't come with my subordinates. I can just supply as much as I need here.'
Local procurement, direct delivery from the source.
This was the Demon Realm, the home of the demons.
It was a world overflowing with talents who could become the Demon King's subordinates.
'Since demons get stronger in the Demon Realm, their resistance will increase, but it's the same for me, so it doesn't matter. The more I use it, the more proficient I'll become.'
Also, the 'Eyes of Dominance' used on them wasn't just about forcibly manipulating their minds.
It was part of the authority and power of the Demon King to command his forces.
In other words, this series of subordination acts were all part of a ritual performed through a legitimate procedure.
'First, let's confirm the exact location of this place... Next, I should contact the others. I gave them instructions, but I don't know if they're doing as I told them. There's a lot to do.'
If there was a problem in the Demon Realm, it would most likely be deeply connected to the 'Dark Nest', the current center of turmoil.
Tracing their movements would be the shortest way to approach the cause.
"Lord? Why am I suddenly..."
"Come here for now. As you know, it's an important guest, so be careful with your behavior."
Just then, the voices of Dalun and the Doberman came from outside the reception room.
It seemed he was also part of the leadership, as the chief of security.
Hela smiled brightly as she watched them enter through the slowly opening door.
At the same time, her ruby-like eyes glowed red.
'The more things there are to do, the more essential the existence of a force becomes.'
It was a fact she had learned through numerous experiences.
There were limits to struggling alone in this unfamiliar land.
'First, I'll completely devour this castle.'
And then—.
Thus, a new Demon King faction that no one had expected.
It began to quietly, and rapidly, take root in a corner of the Demon Realm.
***
The rear area of the Demon Realm occupied by the Dark Nest.
"What, Ken? Why are you back already?"
"Hmm? Oh. Lucy Koatl?"
"'Oh' my ass. Explain yourself properly? Why are you back already? Do you know how much it costs to cross the Demon Realm's dimensional barrier once? You completed your mission, right?"
Miyamoto Ken frowned at the woman's sharp, loud voice.
Even if she was in charge of this area, nagging him as soon as they met?
She was a woman he couldn't get along with.
'Tsk, if she even resembled Hela-nim's toenail, suitors would line up.'
But that was impossible.
How could he compare anyone to that perfect idol, whose descent was no different from the advent of a goddess?
There wasn't a deity in Auterica worthy of being called a goddess, but Ken was convinced that his new master was the most deserving of the title.
"Are you even listening? I sent you because you wanted to go so badly, but if you came back without any results, the higher-ups won't just stand by..."
"Don't worry. I've got quite the results."
"...Huh? Really?"
The mission of those dispatched to the continent, including Ken, was simple.
Bring back as many items from the Demon Realm scattered on the surface as possible, whatever they may be.
Of course, they said anything was fine, but there were expectations depending on the level.
Ken took out an item from his pocket.
A jet-black, gem-like object in the shape of a polyhedron with sharp, protruding horns.
"It's the essence of a Marquis-level demon who died during the 14th Demon King's invasion."
"...Keuh, you're serious?!"
The minimum requirement to challenge the Demon King position was to be a Duke.
They were the heads of each faction, and at the same time, the de facto rulers of the divided territories. There were only four of them in the current Demon Realm.
A Marquis-level demon was the rank right below those lords, and they were beings who could be considered the strongest force on any battlefield.
'Especially if it's the essence of a demon who died during the last invasion of the continent.'
The karma associated with it would be immeasurable.
Ken was certain.
If no one retrieved the remains of the 14th Demon King or the essence of the Succubus Queen, a Duke-level demon, no one would have returned with a greater harvest than him from this dispatch.
'...Yes, I must live up to the expectations placed upon me.'
Ken's eyes gleamed as he watched Lucy, whose expression was filled with admiration as she examined the essence.
To be honest, he wanted to leave this place immediately and go find his master, but he had to endure for the sake of what she had instructed him to do.
Hadn't she bestowed this precious item upon him for that very reason?
"Lucy Koatl, are these achievements enough?"
"Hmm, yes. I have to admit it. With this, even if you went back and forth to the continent ten more times, no one would complain."
"Then why are you just standing there? Guide me."
"Huh? What?"
Ken, raising his head, put the demon's essence back into his pocket and spoke confidently.
"I must see Duke Malyong. I will personally present this magic stone to him."
The flames of fanaticism burned in his eyes.
Lucy tilted her head, wondering if his loyalty was that strong, but she soon nodded in understanding.
If this was the level of his achievement, his request was entirely reasonable.
'Everything is for Hela-nim.'
Of course, if she had known where his faith was directed, she wouldn't have accepted it so easily.
'Even if I have to burn my body.'
A fanatic filled with resolve infiltrated the heart of heresy.