An all-out war between two of the Demon Realm's most powerful factions began. Dark Nest, still the strongest force in the Demon Realm despite recent setbacks and growing concerns among its members.
And Demoniac, secretly gathering strength while maintaining a passive stance despite Helheim's rapid rise. The war, starting at the border of their front lines, gradually escalated, spreading like wildfire throughout every area where the two forces were even remotely connected. It turned into a full-scale war, mobilizing all their forces, with even the two Dukes, the leaders of the factions, personally participating in the battle.
[You! Pieta—! I'll tear off your head and make it into a decoration!]
"Kuh, Demon Dragon Duke. Why are you going this far? A sudden all-out war like this will be burdensome for you as well."
[Don't play dumb! Do you think I don't know about your schemes?!]
"…I don't know what you're talking about."
Pieta, with many guilty secrets, narrowed his glowing eyes, although he denied it. He had started his operations while the Demon Dragon Duke was busy fighting Helheim, thinking he wouldn't notice.
'What did he discover? The secret gate connection? Brainwashing the kidnapped executives? Or did he find out about the agents I planted in his core? He seems furious, so it must be something serious. Or perhaps…'
There were too many possibilities, so he couldn't pinpoint the exact cause. He had countless schemes against Dark Nest.
'Perhaps he found out about everything. I was careless. I thought it was strange how he was losing against Helheim, unlike him. Was he wary of me even while fighting?'
Pieta, feeling uneasy, desperately tried to analyze the situation. It seemed he had been caught red-handed. The Demon Dragon Duke was also hiding secrets, so his silence fueled the misunderstanding. And even if Pieta, sensing something was wrong, claimed his innocence, it wouldn't change the situation. The Demon Dragon Duke already knew about his penchant for schemes and deceit.
That's why one's usual conduct was important.
[I'll kill you first—! Then that mongrel!]
"Ha! You underestimate me. Do you think I'll go down as easily as that idiot Karaku?"
A breath attack erupted along with the Demon Dragon's furious roar, and the Shadow Duke's magic, manipulating 'distortion', countered it. Destructive energy surging like a tsunami, and a defense that diverted it by twisting space. A distorted beam of magic power, like a counterattack, pierced the dragon's massive body, carrying deadly toxins, but it dispersed without effect, failing to overcome the combination of 'precognition' and 'nullification'.
Rumble! Boom!
A back-and-forth exchange continued, the aftershocks alone affecting the entire battlefield. Although it was a fierce, unpredictable battle, the outcome was already somewhat determined.
"Ugh!"
[Do you think you can face me alone?! I am Demon Dragon Duke Crushire! The strongest in the current Demon Realm, and a great being who will soon surpass even the Demon King!]
Despite the considerable exhaustion from his recent battle with Hela, Crushire maintained his advantage in the fight against a fellow Duke, relentlessly pressuring his opponent. As if to prove that his title as the strongest wasn't self-proclaimed.
In the end, Pieta, who had been holding his own, had to retreat, even at the cost of damage to the battlefield. If he continued fighting and was defeated, it would be the end of everything.
'I'll retreat for now. But this isn't the end.'
He hadn't expected to win a head-on fight from the beginning. Wasn't that why he had prepared so many schemes? Even though most of them were incomplete, if he mobilized all his arrangements, he could still turn the tables.
"Gah! Pieta Sir!"
[Kieeek—! Kill… eat… hungry!]
"Damn it! I should have defected sooner… Ugh!"
[Keuh— Kkweeek—!]
As a result, a large portion of Demoniac's forces, supporting him from behind, were mercilessly slaughtered by the white, monstrous creatures without much resistance. But casualties were inevitable on the battlefield. The Shadow Duke managed to escape to the rear, thanks to the sacrifice of his subordinates.
"So you really want to finish this? Alright, I won't hold back either!"
Immediately after, he unleashed everything he had prepared. Dark Nest's mainland was attacked from all sides, betrayal and assassinations ran rampant, and chaos ensued.
[Ignore the minor damage. The important thing is to take down Pieta as quickly as possible.]
But the Demon Dragon Duke, on the front lines, pressed on, undeterred. Leading the white monsters, who feared nothing, betrayed no one, and only craved slaughter.
As the situation escalated, Demoniac became desperate. He urgently contacted Helheim, with whom he had a superficial alliance…
-Our forces are exhausted. Unlike some, we've been fighting non-stop every day. As a result, we've successfully reached Dark Nest's mainland.
So, they were very sorry, but they couldn't send reinforcements immediately. They would try to disrupt Dark Nest's rear as soon as they regrouped, they said.
Bang!
The Shadow Duke slammed his fist on the table after receiving the message through his adjutant. The table and its surroundings were in disarray, but he didn't have the time to care about such trivial matters.
"…Fools. Don't they know they'll be next if we fall?"
The reason Dark Nest could be so aggressive against Demoniac was related to Helheim's sudden passive stance. Their previous momentum, pushing deep into his territory, was gone. They had suddenly started fortifying their defenses and establishing forward bases, steadily subjugating nearby forces.
"…This isn't good. Not good at all."
He muttered softly, looking down at the battlefield map. Thanks to his various arrangements, he had bought some time, but it was meaningless if he kept losing in this all-out war. His forces were wavering because of it.
'Tsk, I need to seriously consider surrendering.'
Surrender was also an option if things didn't work out. He felt a bit skeptical seeing his opponent so eager to kill him, but once he calmed down, he would realize that accepting him, a Duke, was far more beneficial. The Demon Dragon Duke himself was a Demon King candidate who survived in that manner.
"But I have to try everything I can until the very end."
Of course, he didn't intend to submit easily. Wasn't it the same during the previous 15th Demon King selection? Back then, the Demon Dragon Duke had the overwhelming advantage, but in the end, the throne went to the ambitious Tanuin, who never gave up. Since he could have become the 15th Demon King instead of Tanuin if he had surrendered and conserved his strength, he intended to keep fighting until he lost all hope.
'Of course, Helheim is a variable…'
Dealing with the surging Dark Nest was the priority. He had also devised countermeasures against Helheim during his downtime. Thus, Shadow Duke Pieta racked his brains, clinging to a sliver of hope. To somehow seize an opportunity and claim the Demon King's throne.
Of course, if he knew what Hela, whom he considered a variable, was plotting at the same time, he wouldn't be so complacent.
***
"Good work, Ken. It must have been a difficult mission, but you did well."
"Not at all, Lady Hela! It would have been impossible without the help of Davidson, whom you sent. I just guided him."
"Don't be so modest. It wouldn't have gone so smoothly without you."
"Lady Hela…!"
Ken, prostrated before Hela, wore a touched expression at the praise accompanied by a gentle smile. It was only natural.
This mission was practically a forced growth opportunity for him. An artificial mind in an artificial body. He, whose existence was practically fake, could be reborn as a complete individual thanks to this incident. Not to mention, he even became a Marquis-class demon in the process.
'If it wasn't for Davidson… Even if I somehow managed to enter the temple, I would have lost both my mind and body to that curse, let alone witness my original body's death.'
Of course, the unidentified hero also played a part, but it didn't diminish his loyalty to Hela. After all, he survived those powerful enemies thanks to Davidson, whom she sent with him.
Hela, as if sensing his feelings, chuckled softly and continued.
"So, the former Demon King's body? Any progress?"
They gained more than just one or two things from that temple. The remnants of the 15th Demon King, Tanuin, which the Demon Dragon Duke had been collecting for hundreds of years, were also among them. And Ken, sharing the same origin, could absorb those remnants and greatly increase his body's potential.
"…I'm ashamed to admit that I lack the ability to produce any significant results yet. Wouldn't it be better to just give the rest to Davidson…?"
"Hmm, I expected as much. It's greedy to expect the next stage so soon after evolving. And Davidson is fine. He's gluttonous, but that much is enough for him."
What Davidson… no, Harley really needed was the genetic information contained within living beings, not the meat itself. Of course, consuming more byproducts from high-ranking beings was beneficial, but it wasn't efficient to invest further in him, who could already devour even divinity. Even if it was the former Demon King's body, his soul and essence had become a curse, and his physical body was completely ruined.
'It's much more efficient to develop and use this guy.'
If there were no alternatives, she would have just let him devour it like the Duke-class demons he had eaten so far. But things were different when she had such an excellent slave.
"Don't rush it and try to absorb it gradually. I can help you once you get the ball rolling."
"Ah…! Thank you, Lady Hela! I haven't even repaid your previous favors, and you're still looking out for me…!"
Ken, unaware of her inner thoughts, bowed his head to the ground in gratitude. Hela, who only intended to develop and use him, wore an awkward expression, but it quickly disappeared.
'Well, it's mutually beneficial, right? He'll be happier if he can return to Earth.'
Even if he wasn't the real Miyamoto Ken, he undoubtedly inherited his memories. He also inherited a part of his soul through the final contract. In the end, only his physical body had changed. If his memories and soul were still aligned, wasn't he practically the same person?
After finishing her meeting with Ken,
Hela walked around, making a final inspection of their current base. A forward base built in the center of the captured Otorel territory, after subjugating the surrounding forces one by one. While the other two factions were fighting each other, they focused on stabilization, and this place had become quite impressive.
'Of course, this is just a facade.'
A meaningful smile appeared on her lips. What was truly important wasn't the forward base itself, but something special installed within.
After confirming it one last time, she nodded slowly.
'Perfect. I can start right away. The divine fragment made things much easier.'
Another gain from the temple. By obtaining that cursed object that led to the downfall of the former Demon King, Tanuin, she could now commence her plan whenever she wanted. Thanks to the divinity, the requirements for becoming a Demon King, which she slightly lacked, were now fulfilled.
"Now then."
With half gratitude towards the Demon Dragon Duke, who readily handed over such a valuable item, and half gratitude towards the Shadow Duke, who was buying her time and diverting attention,
Hela, a refreshing smile on her face, took a step forward.
"Shall we begin?"
The first step towards conquering the entire Demon Realm.
***
[…What?]
Serentata, a Marquis-class demon guarding Dark Nest's headquarters, frowned. Then, he immediately flew towards where the anomaly was detected. With the faction leader personally participating in the war on the front lines, the importance of defending the headquarters, the center of all gates, didn't need to be emphasized. It was only natural for him, highly alert in this situation where even the smallest variable couldn't be tolerated, to personally investigate the suspicious presence. If he failed his duty again, it wouldn't end with just a scolding from the Demon Dragon Duke like last time.
[…Who's there?!]
And upon arriving at the scene,
He encountered an unidentified figure exuding a strange aura.
'How? The gates were strictly controlled!'
He didn't think it was someone who originally resided here, someone he simply didn't recognize. If he had ever encountered this person, even once, he would never forget them. Even if he hadn't met them personally, he should have at least heard rumors.
"Oh my? You're here already. You have good instincts."
A pair of long horns, red and black heterochromatic eyes, extravagant attire, and an overwhelming, violent allure. He gritted his teeth against the encroaching mental erosion from just meeting her gaze and confirmed her identity.
[The ruler of Helheim, Hela…!]
"Yes, that's right."
There was no time to ask how she infiltrated this place without passing through the gates, or how she dared to invade the heart of enemy territory alone, even though their forces were depleted.
Whoosh
At that moment,
The world around her shifted. It wasn't a complete change. As if two worlds were overlapping, a desolate landscape faintly overlaid the existing scenery. But the problem wasn't just the overlapping scenery.
Clank Clank Clank
Boom Boom
From beyond the desolate wasteland of the overlapping landscape,
An army of demons, their morale soaring, marched forward in unison.
[What?! How?]
It was impossible. This was the headquarters of Dark Nest, the largest and most powerful faction in the Demon Realm, and the nest of the Demon Dragon Duke, the only dragon in the Demon Realm. It wasn't a place where unauthorized individuals could trespass.
"How you say…"
Of course,
"Do I need permission to visit my own land?"
Such things were meaningless to Hela, the rightful ruler of the Demon Realm, and...
The Demon King.