Black smoke billowed in. Like a materialized darkness, it evoked various memories depending on one's perspective. The ceiling he looked up at before falling asleep, the secret base he made with blankets as a child, the warm embrace of his mother.
Darkness was solace. An urge to throw himself into it and find eternal peace welled up within him. The writhing forms faintly visible within the smoke seemed like the beckoning hands of familiar faces. As Ken welcomed the approaching darkness,
"Hey! Snap out of it!"
"Gah!"
He couldn't resist the forceful grip on the back of his neck. His body was dragged along like a paper doll in the wind.
Bang!
A tentacle of black smoke slammed into the spot where he had been just moments ago. It looked like a lump of smoke, but it seemed to have some physical force, as a loud explosion echoed.
"This dude seems out of it."
"That must be the cause, right?"
Voices mixed with the wind caused by their rapid movement. Ken was still being dragged along by the force gripping his neck. He frowned and turned his head with difficulty to see one of Davidson's heads holding his collar in its mouth, running diligently.
"Damn it, my head is spinning…"
He gritted his teeth, his headache worsening from the violent shaking. He could barely control his body, suppressing the urge to surrender to the darkness.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"Not at all… Damn it, I think I get it now. Did he give me this body for this? I feel like I need to become one with him… Ugh!"
The identity of the black fog was the original owner of the body Ken occupied. He was currently resisting the other's claim with his twenty years of possession, but it was a temporary reprieve. He couldn't guarantee how long he could last.
'This is troublesome.'
Davidson, who had been diligently moving his feet, frowned at Ken's reaction.
[————!]
The black fog continued to chase them relentlessly. It was a massive temple with a ceiling tens of meters high, but the approaching black fog was engulfing one side of the wide corridor like a tsunami.
Rumble Boom!
Of course, he hadn't just been running. Even though it was incorporeal, his 「Devouring God」 and 「Power of Gluttony」 could devour even intangible concepts. But there was a limitation to using his ability…
He had to put it in his mouth and eat it.
'It's not completely ineffective, but it's too inefficient.'
Since the amorphous form was like smoke, its density was very low despite its large volume. It meant there was a limit to how much he could eat in one bite. And since it wasn't actual smoke, he couldn't cheat by sucking in all the air at once.
'And it's not easy to just increase my size and fight it head-on. The curse penetrates my magic resistance just by contact…'
The more he devoured it, the more the smoke absorbed his energy. And that wasn't the only problem.
Wasn't Ken the true target?
'I can't let him have him.'
He instinctively knew, with instincts beyond that of a beast. That something terrible would happen if he let it absorb Ken. That's why he was running away instead of confronting it head-on.
"Hey, do you know why he's here?"
"Hmm, I don't know. It seems like he was betrayed by the Demon Dragon Duke or something. I'm not sure about the details."
"Sniff! That's not very helpful."
"…Sorry. I'm at my limit just controlling my body. If I get distracted, I'll be taken over."
He already had an idea of its identity. The main culprit behind the long chaos in the Demon Realm after his sudden disappearance. It was Tanuin, the 15th Demon King, chosen after Leraye.
'The fact that he's trapped in a place like this… It must be related to that apostle who visited the Demon Dragon Duke, right?'
Davidson, having confirmed the prayers inscribed throughout the temple through 「Xenoglossy」, quickly figured out who this place was dedicated to.
'He's quite diligent. To think he actually established a base here.'
A temple dedicated to the former human god, now sealed in the abyss. Of course, strictly speaking, he hadn't built a new temple in the Demon Realm. He had simply connected the entrance of this space to a part of the Demon Realm. The door in the pillar he had seen before entering was the link.
'It must have been possible because the Demon Dragon Duke cooperated… but it's still impressive. And he even managed to manipulate the Demon King and reduce him to that state.'
At this point, he wondered what the Demon God, who governed the Demon Realm, was doing. He understood that as a full-fledged god, there were many things to protect and many restrictions, unlike the god in the abyss, who was now resorting to any means necessary.
"Gasp!"
Just then, Ken gasped as a black tentacle reached out for them. Davidson twisted his body to avoid the attack and bit it off, but the black fog dispersing from the severed tentacle still had a considerable effect on them.
Crack!
"Ugh—! Damn it!"
Ken's body convulsed with the sound of twisting bones, as if he was reaching his limit in suppressing the other's influence. Davidson, looking over Ken's body, also frowned. His smooth fur was not only becoming dry and brittle from the curse's erosion, but it was also starting to fall out in clumps.
'This isn't good. I need a solution.'
He wasn't a good match against an incorporeal opponent. Of course, he could endure it since he was regenerating in real time, but the problem was Ken, who seemed to be nearing his limit. He had to do something before Ken completely collapsed.
But how could he deal with a former Demon King who had become a mass of curses, beyond just a spirit?
'Is Hans the only option? Hans, the Immortal King, should be able to handle it…'
Of course, there were some concerns. That this place was a temple of a human god. No matter how weakened he was, this space would be special to him. He would be able to grasp everything happening here.
'Perhaps he's not just observing, but scanning everything in detail.'
His current 'Davidson Mode', with his powers restricted and the 「Seed of Madness」 suppressed, wouldn't be a problem even if observed. However, he was hesitant to reveal Hans's abilities, his greatest strength, to his greatest enemy in Auterica.
'Hans's 「Undying Heart」 is also derived from the divinity of that god sealed in the abyss. I've completely taken ownership of it, but it's best not to give him any openings.'
Lost in thought,
A possibility suddenly flashed through his mind.
'…Wait? A mass of curses?'
The 15th Demon King, Tanuin, who had lost his physical body and whose soul had been transformed into pure curse. His power and rank were still immensely high, but it was a clear fact that he was now limited as a 'Demon King-level curse', not a 'Demon King'.
'Perhaps…'
He ran various scenarios through his mind. Not just with his three, albeit not very efficient, brains, but also with the sharp minds of his other avatars.
And the conclusion he reached was…
'This is doable.'
High probability of success.
Proceed with the plan.
***
Tanuin became the 15th Demon King after overcoming all sorts of hardships.
But he couldn't fully rejoice even after achieving his long-awaited position. He knew about the schemes Demon Dragon Duke Crushire had employed to eliminate Leraye, his strongest competitor and a leading candidate for Demon King.
Tanuin, who was also a Duke at the time, couldn't not know, as he had also participated in the plan. However, it wouldn't look good to eliminate someone who had already admitted defeat and joined his ranks just because he was a 'threat'. Wouldn't it give the impression that the newly appointed Demon King was afraid of his former competitor?
So, he waited for an opportunity, looking for an excuse…
As if sensing his intentions, the Demon Dragon Duke came to him first, bowing his head low.
And he even brought a valuable tribute.
"A fragment of a god?"
It was an irresistible temptation. A fragment of a god!
Tanuin, having attained quasi-divinity upon becoming Demon King, could immediately recognize its value. Divinity separated from a being equal to, or even greater than, the Demon God. If he could completely absorb it, achieving his long-cherished ambition wouldn't be a dream. The desire he had held since long ago, every time he looked up at the sky of the Demon Realm—.
The desire to cut down the heavens.
Of course, he didn't attempt to absorb it without any precautions. It was a gift from Demon Dragon Duke Crushire, his primary target of suspicion. Using his authority as Demon King, he repeatedly verified its safety and prepared various countermeasures, considering all possibilities. So that if he tried any tricks, he could completely eliminate him this time.
And finally, the moment he was confident that he, having attained quasi-divinity, could safely absorb this ownerless divinity,
He immediately took the divine fragment into his body—.
[Kuh huh— Your greed has brought you ruin, Tanuin!]
And everything went wrong with an unforeseen event. It should have been ownerless divinity, but an apostle serving the fragment's master appeared.
"Crushire! You bastard!"
Through the apostle's prayer, the fragment connected with an unknown god. And Tanuin, who had swallowed the divinity whole, was connected along with it. He, too, was accumulating his own divinity as he ascended to the position of Demon King, but unfortunately, due to his greed, he was swept away by a far greater divinity before he could even get used to it.
"Do you think I'll just go down like this?!"
But he, too, was someone who had reached the pinnacle of the Demon Realm after overcoming all sorts of hardships. Tanuin, the 15th Demon King, didn't collapse as they wished. He tore himself apart, scattering his remnants across the Demon Realm, so they couldn't gain anything from him, and transformed his soul into a curse against them, preventing them from using it as they pleased.
[…Tanuin. You're useless until the very end.]
Although he had interfered greatly in the end, the apostle and the Demon Dragon Duke didn't give up easily. They couldn't just give up after using a precious divine fragment and having things go wrong. He proceeded with another plan, gathering the scattered remnants and extracting the Demon King's power from them. To transplant the Demon King's power into his body, just like he had become a demon.
[I don't care if the Demon God doesn't acknowledge me anymore! I will ascend above the Demon King myself!]
If he possessed the body of a Demon King and effectively ruled the Demon Realm, exerting influence,
He would become the Demon King, regardless of anyone's opinion. Regardless of the Demon God's will!
Hundreds of years passed.
As planned, the Demon Realm fell into chaos, and the Demon Dragon Duke was busy gathering the remnants of the Demon King and preparing for the ritual. Then one day, the Demon Dragon Duke heard an interesting story. About the existence of people from other worlds who defied the established laws of this world. It wasn't long after that when Earthlings, including Ken, began to be kidnapped and brought to the Demon Realm.
***
Countless alert messages popped up in his vision. Hesperon, fully armed in a titanium suit, checked the details.
-Detected Energy: 326,711,730
-Threat Level: SS
-Energy signature equivalent to a Terra-class warship reactor detected. Initiate emergency escape sequence immediately.
"Wow."
He gasped involuntarily. A Terra-class warship was a massive spacecraft with a length of at least one kilometer. The pinnacle of future science and technology, capable of space combat using its main cannons and barriers, as well as warp navigation.
'A single entity possesses that much energy?'
This was absurd, even considering that it was the Demon Realm, and he was already significantly weakened.
Rumble Boom!
The vibrations from afar grew closer. Hesperon, nervously stretching, took a deep breath and finished his final preparations. With a metallic clang, the titanium parts covering his right arm detached and disappeared into the air. All that remained was his bare arm, wrapped in bandages with mystical patterns. He stared at his right hand, which looked frail compared to the rest of his suited body.
[————!]
Just then, a hollow scream reached him. He glanced up to see a three-headed dog and a demon dangling from its mouth, approaching rapidly.
"Shall we begin?"
Rustle
The bandages unwound and rolled up onto his shoulder. Revealing—a black dragon coiled around his entire arm, as if tattooed. But it wasn't an ordinary tattoo.
Whoosh!
As if to prove it, the dragon, moving freely along his skin, sprang out with black flames. The 「Right Arm of Craving」, which had been sealed and hadn't seen much action. The Black Flame Dragon within, its eyes blazing, slowly grew in size.
"Long time no see. Now then…"
Of course, he couldn't do anything to the 'Demon King-level curse' at his current level. With such a vast difference in rank, if he clashed directly, he would be absorbed and disappear before he could even put up a fight. Hesperon along with him.
But with one more ability added to the mix, the situation changed.
"Eat your fill."
It was an obvious statement, but
「Curse Devourer」
Hesperon was immune to all curses.