‘What the?!’
As the Duke of Dragons prepared his attack to finish off his opponent, six eyes twitched involuntarily.
His acute perception, far beyond common senses, made it clear.
‘The flow…’
Just a moment ago.
For some unknown reason, the air around him changed dramatically in an instant.
He realized that the water stream he had set had not only escaped the channels but began to rush into the unknown!
[Ha! It seems you’re making a last-ditch effort! But it’s too late to struggle now!]
However, he was unconcerned and pushed ahead with his task.
His opponent had suffered critical damage from a move even he rarely used—‘Instant Death.’
No matter how much damage control had been applied, there was no way the opponent could adequately respond to this follow-up attack.
Goooo—
The pitch-black energy gathered in the Duke of Dragons’ mouth twisted and churned.
Simultaneously, countless magic circles began to rise, enveloping the space several kilometers above.
His own unique technique connected to the breath attack.
A strategic weapon raining down breath-level bombardments across the entire designated range.
‘Let’s end this! Go ahead, if you can block it this time!’
The surrounding magical energy surged fiercely, swirling as it was sucked in.
That unusual current made the demon tribe members, fiercely fighting on the ground, unconsciously look up at the sky.
With the space collapsing and the positional distortion, they couldn’t flee or evade.
A devastating flood of destruction covering all the areas where Hela could potentially take advantage.
In front of this overwhelming essence of violence, Hela, who was wiping the blood from her mouth while sustaining internal injuries, still managed to…
“Phew! I have to admit. You’re certainly impressive, aren’t you?”
…break into a calm smile.
Despite facing the destructive flow of energy about to engulf her, her demeanor revealed not a hint of anxiety.
Woooon—
Even amid all this, the grand magic circle, composed of extremely fine parts, gradually moved toward completion.
At this stage, interfering with the mana construction would be pointless.
That massive magic circle, half alive, would adapt and create a new design if any part disrupted its flow.
“Hmm, but I think I’m still more impressive than you, who’s throwing a tantrum after failing so many times. Sorry, but that’s just how it is!”
Of course, even such a precise technique had its weaknesses.
It was just that in the current situation, it was nearly impossible to exploit those weaknesses.
“I’ll graciously accept your gift. So, shall we stop now—”
Hela’s crimson eye began to shimmer.
Beginning with red, it transformed into blue, yellow, and then white before finally settling into a solid black like an eyeball.
The eye, now indistinguishable and resembling a black bead, faced forward.
At that moment, it became the core of the ongoing changes—the most critical point, yet also a deadly weakness—
“[Care to die?]”
—aimed at the Duke of Dragons, Crushair.
[What?! Gah! Cough! Huh?! This is… no way…!]
Blood gushed from the massive dragon’s body.
Whoosh—! Thud!
The power of ‘Instant Death’ clawed into his flesh and mind.
The breath attack that had gathered in his mouth dissipated in vain.
With that, the energy that had momentarily lost control began to destroy him from within. The once perfectly meshing colossal magic circle started to creak and gradually collapse.
‘How could this happen…?!’
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
No, in this case, it should be said a debt of pain must be repaid!
With blood streaming from his six eyes, the Dragon glared at his opponent, who had returned more severe damage than what he inflicted.
‘Instant Death Eye, was it? Did the Eye change? First domination, then instant death?!’
His mind spiraled into chaos.
A member of the Eye tribe possessed only one eye from birth throughout their life.
He had never heard of anyone developing a new eye later on.
Moreover, the possibility of receiving something from another Eye tribe member was not even feasible.
And that was because he had eradicated all remaining members of the Eye clan himself!
‘But, how could this happen…?!’
The past he thought he had buried was resurrecting to block his path once again.
*
The Duke of Dragons, Crushair.
He was indeed regarded as the strongest existent in the Demon Realm, but naturally, he hadn’t always been that way.
It would be no exaggeration to say that countless death-defying moments he experienced on his rise to his current position shaped him into who he was.
As Hela had pointed out, he was a fugitive who had broken the rules of dragons and fled to the Demon Realm.
Long ago, during his juvenile years as a dragon.
He suddenly realized that the treatment of himself and other dragons was terribly unfair.
‘Why must we, the greatest beings in the world, live so quietly and modestly? Those insignificant bugs build their civilizations and bask in the admiration of the lower beings while I, who is far superior, can’t move freely!’
Dragons were beings so grand they couldn’t even be compared to other inferior races.
Even at birth, they could subdue most opponents with their innate power, and simply aging allowed their magical and physical capabilities to grow endlessly.
The transcendent gate that only those who risked their lives could pass was merely a formality for them.
However, they had one critical problem that offset all those advantages.
They could not freely wield their immense power due to numerous constraints tied to that very power.
Crushair was dissatisfied not only with those frustrating regulations but also with the stuffy traditions followed blindly by his clan.
‘We are the rightful rulers of this world! So, why?! Why?!’
…In truth, he knew the reason very well.
To maintain harmony and balance in the world.
All of their capabilities existed solely for that purpose, and that was the very reason and essence of their birth as dragons.
From the moment he was born, that instinct had been imprinted in his mind, so how could he possibly miss it?
‘Destiny as a dragon? Preordained fate? What a joke!’
Yet, unlike other dragons, he could not accept it.
It was a problem entirely different from intelligence.
Just because one was born that way didn’t mean it was necessary to follow it!
Even now, less than a millennium old, he found the prospect of enduring millennia ahead suffocating.
With those dark feelings bottled up, time passed.
Eventually, he too became an adult dragon and became independent.
And finally, free from any hindrance, he immediately executed a plan he had been devising all along.
[Shattering the shackles of existence and transcending limits. Ordinary methods won’t do.]
Knowledgeable in all forms of magic, he was well aware of what mystical power was most suitable for that condition.
A force that twisted the predetermined flow through the use of black magic.
—’Black Magic.’
‘Anyway, I have plenty of time. If I move cautiously, little by little, I will surely reach my goal eventually.’
Unlike the complacent dragons, he harboring a human-like tenacity thoroughly progressed in his endeavors.
Offering entire villages and cities as sacrifices, instigating wars in the human realm to gather negative energy, and even establishing a continent-spanning terror organization to manipulate the world from behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, he always took a step back to avoid suspicion as much as possible.
And after around a thousand years had passed.
[…What are you? How did you find this place?]
“Please don’t be too cautious. I’m here to help you. More precisely, we should say our understanding aligns.”
[Ha! How presumptuous for a mere creature! Fine then, I’ll just dig through your brain while you’re alive!]
“Oh dear, I guess I’ll have to introduce myself later.”
Despite the rocky first meeting, his relationship with the unexpectedly appeared ‘Apostle’ proved to be substantially beneficial for progressing his tasks.
Thanks to them, he even succeeded in secretly hunting down and sacrificing a few dragons of his kind.
‘Those pigs, content with their current state! You should be grateful that you could assist me like this, even in this way!’
But long tails often get stepped on.
No matter how careful one was, perfection could never be achieved, not even after a thousand or ten thousand years.
About another thousand years later, he was eventually found out and became a target of pursuit by other dragons.
[Crushair, you’ve crossed the boundaries!]
[You’ve violated the rules so many times. How long do you plan to keep hiding your true nature and disrupting order? You shall pay for your sins with your life.]
At that time, he had an overwhelming level of strength due to actively using black magic and sacrifices, but as the entire dragon race gathered to eradicate the impurity that was Crushair, his only choice was to flee.
‘Those vermin becoming divine slaves! I will surely return and devour you all while you’re still alive!’
Fortunately, with the help of the Apostle, he managed to escape to the Demon Realm, where he first began to heal his injuries and gradually modified his body to suit the environment.
Thanks to the research results achieved by overcoming the limitations of being a dragon, that task was not difficult at all.
He gradually transformed into a demon by utilizing the energies of the Demon Realm and hunting demon tribes.
‘Aha, perhaps this could be an opportunity! To surpass the limits of being a dragon and attain a higher existence here in the Demon Realm! Not just Ancient Dragons… not even at the level of Dragon Lords…!’
At that moment, his one and only goal was clear.
To ascend to the throne of the Demon King, the pinnacle of this Demon Realm.
If he could achieve that, his next course of action was already determined.
As the Demon King, he would return to that land he had fled and bring the entire world to its knees!
He persevered against the high-ranking demons and their armies drawn to hunt him down with the single-minded ambition of becoming the Demon King.
Thus began his continuous struggle beyond a thousand years, rapidly accelerating his growth.
He absorbed the foundations of the opponents he defeated, seized their accumulated knowledge, and devoured the essence that formed the basis of their power.
Yet—.
‘Why…!’
Even though he was undoubtedly becoming stronger, he couldn’t reach his goal at all.
During the 12th Demon King selection, when he was only a marquis-level demon, he hadn’t even dared to have expectations.
Fully aware of his shortcomings, he voluntarily joined the ranks of the most prominent candidates for Demon King and quietly cultivated his powers under their wing, eventually smoothly taking the throne.
However, after the 12th Demon King returned home with fatal injuries after embarking on a continental invasion, he began to make his presence known actively.
Gradually, after gaining strength, the Duke of Dragons, Crushair, confidently participated in the selection for the 13th Demon King…
“Damn it, I was so close! To think so many would fall victim to that insidious creature’s Eye of Domination?! Nothing is going according to plan!”
After maintaining consistent superiority, on the verge of claiming the Demon King title, he lost it to a rival candidate from the Eye tribe by the narrowest of margins.
‘…Hoo, hoo. It can’t be helped. It’s fine. I will surely secure the position next time.’
Though his insides churned with discomfort, he quickly steadied himself and became even more determined to prepare for the next selection.
Considering the training he had accumulated over the years, he didn’t dwell long on past failures.
However, as time flowed again.
During the 14th Demon King selection…
GRAAAAH! Lureya—! This hybrid again!
Once again, he lost the Demon King seat by a hair’s breadth, and even he couldn’t maintain his composure at that moment.
Especially since the opponent was the daughter of the rival 13th Demon King, who hadn’t even been born at the time of the last selection—it left a huge bruise on his pride.
Of course, there were justifications.
His faction, which he had painstakingly nurtured in preparation for the selection, was indeed impressive, but it wasn’t enough to surpass the combination of the former king’s faction, the followers of the 13th Demon King, and the succubus queen’s faction, Dream Walker.
Moreover, the magical aura possessed by Lureya, bestowed by the 13th Demon King, was so powerful it captivated not only neutrals but even those in hostile factions, making the outcome entirely reasonable.
‘Eye of Domination! Just that again!’
The Eye tribe wasn’t numerous enough to be classified as a large race in the Demon Realm, yet their combat prowess due to their innate powerful eyes was well-known.
In fact, the power of ‘Domination’ was so tremendous that it ranked among the best of the Eye tribe—.
[……..]
Deep within his heart, a simmering emotion burned fiercely, consuming him with darkness.
The wicked Dragon felt no need to suppress that feeling.
One day, it happened.
“Pfh, hello! I’ve heard so much about you from the predecessors, hehe. I look forward to working with you!”
Unclear how this mysterious Apostle had set foot in the Demon Realm, they approached him while laughing heartily.
“…But it appears you have something weighing on your mind? Hehe! I believe I can help you with that!”
Without hesitation, he took the Apostle’s hand.
That rogue was indeed remarkably competent, almost reminiscent of the previous Apostle he had worked with, possessing extraordinarily useful abilities.
He felt that with this help, he could resolve this frustrating situation somehow.
Thus, based on that assistance, he began to prepare a revolution to upheave the Demon Realm.
He devised various plots, successfully executed them.
Using the imminent continental invasion to instill urgency among the Dukes and set up confrontations with Lureya.
At the same time, he actively steered scenarios to ensure the failure of the Demon Realm’s continental attack, attacking the leftover scraps afterward with fervor.
‘Though I couldn’t completely finish off Dream Walker due to those other Dukes sensing something…’
They likely intended to check his growing power.
Fortunately, he managed to decisively conclude the immediate threat of the Eye tribe.
Though they were no pushovers, their severe injuries from assisting in the continental invasion severely limited their capabilities.
‘Thanks to that, I gained a lot.’
Thus, having captured and experimented repeatedly on the Eye tribe, the Duke of Dragons, Crushair, finally unveiled the mechanisms of that power. He even successfully selected six of the most appealing Eye abilities to transplant into himself.
And the moment he laid eyes on the possession of the ‘Instant Death Eye,’ which was a mere child at the time—he came to a realization.
Had he not acted this time… and simply prepared for the next Demon King selection as he had always done, he wouldn’t have claimed the title of the next Demon King.
It became clear that initiating the revolution was undoubtedly the right call.
‘But then.’
The power wielded by a mere child didn’t affect him.
Even as other members of his clan perished, that insolent kid, who was a strong contender for the next Demon King, stared directly at him, despairing at the reality that his strength was ineffective.
“Hmm, is this the feeling? It’ll take me some time to get used to.”
But now…
One half-demon, exuding a very similar vibe to the already dead Lureya, was utilizing the powers he thought he had completely eradicated and robbed from his hands.
Just like that kid back then.
Gazing directly at him.
“Well, using it often could help me get used to it, right? So, shall I try out some other things too?”
Or perhaps, what he felt back then was merely an illusion.
Even if the child possessing the Eye of Instant Death grew, they could not hope to surpass such an incomprehensible existence.
‘Not just Instant Death. Could it be that all the eyes I once held…?!’
Hela’s eyes began to shimmer with vibrant colors once more.
