'What?'
The Demon Dragon Duke, preparing a finishing blow, involuntarily twitched his six eyes. With his exceptionally keen senses far surpassing ordinary perception, he could tell.
'The flow…'
Just now.
For some unknown reason, the surrounding atmosphere had instantly changed. The current had not only deviated from the course he had set, but it had begun to rush unimpeded into uncharted territory!
[Ha! A last-ditch effort, I see! But it's too late to struggle now!]
His opponent had already suffered fatal damage, having been struck by an attack so severe that even he rarely permitted himself to use—instant death. No matter how greatly she had minimized the damage through her overwhelming prowess, there was no way she could properly counter the attack that followed.
Rumble
A jet-black energy gathered and pulsed within the Demon Dragon Duke's mouth. At the same time, countless magic circles, covering several kilometers in the sky, began to appear around him. His unique spell linked to his breath attack. A strategic weapon in itself, capable of unleashing breath-level bombardments across the entire designated area.
'This will finish it! Let's see you try to block this!'
The surrounding magical energy surged and swirled, being sucked into him. Sensing the ominous energy, the demons fiercely fighting on the ground involuntarily looked up at the sky. A torrent of destruction that covered every area Hela could possibly escape to, impossible to avoid or flee due to the converging space and distorted dimensions.
Hela, wiping the blood from her lips, injured and facing the overwhelming destructive energy about to engulf her…
"Pfft! I have to admit, that's impressive."
…burst into laughter, still unfazed. Despite facing the destructive energy about to crash down on her, not a hint of anxiety showed in her demeanor.
Hum
Meanwhile, the massive magic circle covering the area continued to approach completion, like extremely precise parts falling into place. It was too late to disrupt the mana construction now. This massive magic circle, practically half-alive, would simply adapt and complete a new pattern if any part of it was disrupted.
"Hmph, but I think I'm still more impressive than you, venting your anger after failing several times. Unfortunately for you."
Of course, even such a precise spell wasn't without weaknesses. It was just nearly impossible to exploit them in this situation.
"Thanks for the gift. So now, stop—"
Hela's red, heterochromatic eyes began to shimmer. Her pupils, changing colors from red to blue, yellow, and white. The transformation stopped only when they turned black, the same color as her sclera. Her eyes, now like black beads with no discernible pupils, turned forward. Towards the center of the changes occurring around her, the most crucial core, and also the fatal weakness—.
["Would you die?]"
—Demon Dragon Duke Crushire.
[What?! Ugh! Cough! Keoheok! This is… Could it be…!]
Blood poured from the Demon Dragon's massive body.
Ptoo! Splatter!
The power of 'instant death' penetrated his body and mind. The breath he had gathered and compressed within his mouth dispersed. As the uncontrolled energy began to ravage his insides, the giant magic circle, which had been working like clockwork, faltered and began to crumble.
'How…!'
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. No, in this case, it was more like giving an inch and taking a mile. The Demon Dragon, suffering far greater damage than what he had inflicted, glared at his opponent with his six bleeding eyes.
'A death gaze? Her demonic eye changed? Domination and now instant death?'
His mind was in turmoil. A member of the Demon Eye Clan only possessed a single innate demonic eye throughout their life. He had never heard of anyone awakening a new demonic eye. And there was no way she could have received it from another member of the Demon Eye Clan. After all,
He had eradicated all the remaining members of the Demon Eye Clan!
'But, that's impossible…!'
The past he thought he had buried resurfaced, blocking his path once more.
***
Demon Dragon Duke Crushire. He was undeniably the strongest being in the current Demon Realm, but he wasn't always this powerful. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the countless life-or-death crises he experienced shaped him into who he was today. As Hela had pointed out, he was a fugitive who had fled to the Demon Realm, violating the dragons' laws.
A long time ago, during his Juvenile years as a dragon.
He suddenly realized that the treatment he and other dragons received was incredibly unfair.
'Why do we dragons, the greatest beings in the world, have to live so quietly and discreetly? Those lowly insects build their civilizations, are worshiped by their inferiors, and live as they please. Why can't I, who is far superior to them, move as I please?!'
Dragons were beings beyond comparison to other inferior races. Even newborns could overwhelm most opponents with their innate power, and their magic and physical bodies grew endlessly as they aged. Even the gate of Transcendence, which other races risked their lives to challenge, and only a handful could pass, was a mere rite of passage for them.
However, they had one critical flaw that offset all their advantages. They were bound by numerous restrictions, unable to use their power freely. Crushire was dissatisfied with those suffocating rules, as well as the old-fashioned members of his clan who obediently followed them.
'We, I, am the most deserving being to rule the world! But why! Why?!'
…Of course, he knew the reason. Maintaining harmony and balance, protecting the world's equilibrium. All their abilities existed solely for that purpose, and that was the very reason for the dragons' existence. The instinct was ingrained in him from the moment he was born, how could he not know?
'A dragon's destiny? Predestined fate? Don't make me laugh!'
But with his different way of thinking compared to other dragons, he couldn't accept it. It was a matter beyond intelligence. That he had to follow it just because he was born that way!
He felt suffocated even now, not even a thousand years old. He couldn't accept the fact that he had to endure this dragon life for thousands of years to come.
As time passed, suppressing the dark emotions building within him,
He finally became an adult dragon and gained independence. And finally free from any interference, he immediately put into action a plan he had been devising.
[Breaking the restrictions that bind existence and transcending limitations. Ordinary methods won't work.]
He, versed in all the magic of the world, already knew the mystery most suited for this. The power to defy fate, distort the predetermined flow, and impose magic.
—'Black Magic'.
'I have plenty of time. I'll proceed carefully, little by little, so as not to get caught… I'll eventually reach the end.'
Unlike other complacent dragons, with a fervor akin to humans, he meticulously carried out his plan, utilizing all his abilities. He sacrificed entire villages and cities, instigated wars in the human world to gather negative energy, and even created a continent-wide terrorist organization to manipulate the world from behind the scenes.
And he always tried to keep his true self hidden, avoiding suspicion.
About a thousand years passed like that.
[…What? You? How did you find this place?]
"Don't be so wary. I'm here to help you. Or, to be more precise, our interests align."
[Ha! How dare a mere insect be so arrogant. Fine. I'll just dissect your brain while you're still alive!]
"My, my, it seems I'll have to introduce myself later."
Although their first meeting wasn't pleasant, the connection with the 'apostle' who suddenly appeared was a great help to his endeavors. It even allowed him to successfully hunt a few dragons of his own kind and secretly offer their bodies and souls as sacrifices.
'You complacent pigs! Be grateful that you can at least be of use to me.'
But a long tail is bound to be stepped on. No matter how careful he was, he couldn't be perfect for thousands, tens of thousands of years.
One day, about another thousand years later, his actions were finally exposed, and he was chased by other dragons.
[Crushire, you bastard! You dared to touch the forbidden!]
[You've broken countless rules. How long have you been hiding your true nature and disrupting order… Pay for your sins with your life.]
Thanks to actively utilizing black magic and sacrifices, his power was far beyond his age, but when the entire dragon race began to move to eliminate him, the impurity known as Crushire, he had no choice but to flee.
'You insects who abandoned freedom and became slaves to the gods! I'll definitely return and devour you alive!'
Fortunately, with the apostle's help, he was able to escape to the Demon Realm. He began to heal his wounds and modify his body to adapt to the new environment. Thanks to his research on transcending the limitations of the dragon species, it wasn't difficult. He absorbed the energy of the Demon Realm, used the bodies of hunted demons to transform his body, and gradually turned himself into a demon.
'Yes, this is an opportunity! I'll transcend the limitations of dragons in the Demon Realm and become a higher being! Not just an Ancient Dragon… or a Dragon Lord…!'
At that point, he had only one goal. To ascend to the position of Demon King, the apex of the Demon Realm. And once he achieved that, his next course of action was set.
As a Demon King, not a dragon, he would return to the land he had fled from and bring the entire world to its knees! He endured, driven solely by his desire to become the Demon King, while fighting against high-ranking demons and even armies that came to hunt him. The constant struggle, lasting over a thousand years without rest, rapidly increased his power. He absorbed the foundations of those he defeated, stole their accumulated knowledge, and devoured their essences, the source of their power.
But—.
'Why…!'
Although he was undoubtedly growing stronger, he couldn't get any closer to his goal. He hadn't even expected to win during the 12th Demon King selection, when he was still a Marquis-class demon. Knowing he was still lacking, he voluntarily joined the most likely candidate for Demon King and quietly built his strength under him, who successfully claimed the throne.
However, after the 12th Demon King returned from the continental invasion with fatal injuries,
He began to step forward and make his presence known. And after steadily building his power, the Demon Dragon Duke Crushire, who finally reached the Duke class, confidently participated in the 13th Demon King selection…
'Damn it, I almost had it! To think there were so many who fell for that insidious bastard's demonic eye of domination! Nothing's going according to plan!'
Just when the Demon King's throne was within his reach after maintaining his lead,
He lost to his rival, a Demon Eye Clan candidate, by a hair's breadth.
'…Phew, phew. It can't be helped. I'll definitely secure the position next time.'
Although he was bitter, he quickly composed himself and prepared for the next selection with renewed determination. Thanks to his years of training, he could let go of the past without dwelling on it.
But after some time,
During the 14th Demon King selection…
[Kuaaaa! Leraye—! That mongrel again!]
When he lost the position of Demon King by a narrow margin once again, he couldn't maintain his composure, no matter how hard he tried. The fact that his opponent was the several-hundred-year-old daughter of his rival, the 13th Demon King, who wasn't even born during the previous selection, dealt a heavy blow to his pride.
Of course, he had excuses. His faction, carefully cultivated over a long time in preparation for the Demon King selection, was formidable, but it wasn't enough to surpass the combined forces of the former Demon King faction, loyal to the 13th, the Demon Eye Clan, and Dream Walker, the Succubus Queen's faction, another Duke-class demon. Also, Leraye's charm, amplified by that annoying demonic eye inherited from the 13th Demon King, was powerful enough to captivate not only the neutral factions but even some members of the opposing forces. In a way, it wasn't strange that things turned out this way.
'The demonic eye of domination! Because of it again!'
The Demon Eye Clan was a small minority in the Demon Realm, but their combat prowess, stemming from their innate demonic eyes, was widely known. Moreover, the power of 'domination' was considered the strongest among the demonic eyes—.
[…]
His insides burned with a certain emotion. The wicked Demon Dragon didn't feel the need to suppress it.
Then one day.
"Hee hee, greetings. I've heard a lot about you from my predecessor, hehe. I look forward to working with you."
An apostle of an unknown god, giggling incessantly, came to him. How he set foot in the Demon Realm was a mystery.
"…You seem to have something on your mind. Kekeke! I think I can help you."
He didn't hesitate to take the apostle's hand. He was incredibly competent and possessed useful abilities, just like the previous apostle. He felt that even this frustrating situation could be overcome with their help.
With that support, he began to prepare for a revolution that would overturn the Demon Realm. He devised and executed various plans. Exploiting the approaching continental invasion, he fueled the other Dukes' sense of crisis and set them against Leraye. At the same time, he actively steered the situation to ensure the Demon Realm's continental invasion failed, and after the expedition ended in failure, he focused on cleaning up the remnants.
'Thanks to the interference from those other Dukes who sensed something, I couldn't completely eliminate Dream Walker…'
They must have intended to use them to check his growing power. Fortunately, he was able to thoroughly eliminate the Demon Eye Clan, his primary target. They weren't weak, but the heavy losses they suffered while supporting the continental expedition proved fatal.
'I gained quite a bit from it, too.'
Demon Dragon Duke Crushire conducted countless experiments and research on the captured individuals. He finally uncovered the mechanism of their abilities, and based on his research results, he successfully transplanted six of his favorite demonic eyes into himself.
And the moment he saw the owner of the 'death gaze', a mere child back then—he immediately realized something. If he hadn't taken action… if he had simply waited for the next Demon King selection like he always did,
The next Demon King's throne wouldn't have been his either. That starting a revolution was the right decision.
'But.'
The power of instant death used by a mere child didn't work on him. The arrogant brat who stared him down while his own kin were dying, the promising candidate for the next Demon King, perished miserably, despairing at the reality that his power didn't work on him.
"Hmm, so this is how it feels? It'll take some time to get used to."
But now.
A hybrid demon, exuding an aura remarkably similar to the deceased Leraye,
Was using the power he thought he had completely eradicated and stolen. Just like that brat back then. Staring straight at him.
"Well, I'll get used to it with practice. Shall we try out the others while we're at it?"
No, perhaps what he felt back then was a miscalculation. There was no way that child with the death gaze could surpass such an incomprehensible being even if he grew up.
'Not just instant death. Could it be, all the demonic eyes I have…!'
Hela's eyes began to shimmer with various colors once more.