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The moment the Divine Bird Karadorius appeared, its poisonous "snowflakes" began to drift down upon the entire Demon Lord's Castle.
Eve stood trembling, her complexion pale, leaning weakly against Takumi. Summoning the divine bird consumed an enormous amount of mana—far beyond what her body could comfortably endure.
Takumi gently stroked her smooth back and nodded. "Leave the rest to us."
After saying that, he handed Eve to Ellen for support, then soared alone toward the palace at the center of the castle.
From above, Takumi witnessed firsthand the terrifying might of the Divine Bird Karadorius. Wherever the toxic snowflakes fell, soldiers of the Demon Lord's army collapsed by the hundreds—blood pouring from every orifice, dying instantly on the streets.
Tens of thousands perished within moments. Even demons hiding indoors were not spared; the venomous air seeped through walls, killing them from within.
That was the true horror of the Divine Bird Karadorius—a creature so deadly that its mere presence could annihilate an entire city.
Takumi couldn't help but admire it.
Efficient, he thought.
If it were him, he could never achieve this level of destruction—wiping out an entire army without losing a single soldier, nor damaging a single building.
"I have [Magic Beast Domination] now… theoretically, I should be able to control the Divine Bird too. But rather than taming her, I'd rather obtain her Traits. Killing her would be tough… but maybe I can defeat her another way."
He glanced up at the divine creature gliding through the clouds, its radiant feathers scattering light.
"She's definitely female—that much's obvious. She even gave me her egg, after all. It's a shame she hasn't taken on a humanoid form yet… otherwise, I could defeat her in a more… intimate manner."
Takumi exhaled through his nose. "Forget it. Someday, I'll ride her, force her into human form, and then give her a proper beating."
As his thoughts wandered, his body dropped from the sky like a meteor, crashing straight into the towering palace.
Passing overhead, the Divine Bird shivered as a sudden chill crept down her spine. She glanced down at Takumi below, sensing the thick malicious intent radiating from him.
It wasn't killing intent—nor was it genuine hostility—but something far more sinister in nature.
"What a strange Hero~"
The Divine Bird murmured softly to herself, dismissing the feeling and continuing her flight. Having completed her mission, she circled the castle once more—by now, every soldier lay dead, and only a handful of survivors remained.
"It's time—All forces, charge!!"
At Ellen's command, the allied army surged forward in unison. Their morale was soaring; there wasn't a trace of fear left in them. With the Divine Bird having cleared the way, all that remained was to seize the city.
Meanwhile, Takumi smashed through the palace wall, landing deep inside the Demon Lord's great hall.
BOOM! BOOM!
Debris fell as his boots struck the ground.
Before him, a massive black shadow sat upon the throne.
"Hoho~ Hahahaha! You've finally arrived, Hero!"
The figure stood—a towering lion-headed humanoid in obsidian armor. His voice thundered like an explosion as his crimson cape unfurled behind him.
He gazed down at Takumi with something close to admiration. Never had he imagined that his intricate defenses would be so effortlessly shattered—nor that a human Hero would stand alongside a Demon Lord Candidate.
"I'm curious, Hero of Humanity—why do you side with the Black-Wing Tribe? Aren't they enemies of your kind?"
Takumi's reply was calm, cold. "And yet, don't you conspire with King Jioral?"
Under the piercing light of his [Jade Eyes], the Demon Lord's status screen appeared:
Name: Hakuo
Level: ???
Traits:Demon Lord (Gold), Pseudo-Immortal Body (Purple), Demonic Flesh (Purple), Corrosive Power (Purple), Royal Beast Bloodline (Blue)
Demon Lord (Gold): A chosen ruler implanted with a Philosopher's Stone, possessing near-infinite mana.
Pseudo-Immortal Body (Purple): Powered by the Philosopher's Stone, granting near-immortality to the flesh.
Corrosive Power (Purple): The ability to decay and destroy anything upon touch.
"Quite the luxurious panel," Takumi muttered. "If this were before, you'd have been a real nightmare to deal with."
He could feel it—the immense mana within Hakuo, easily a thousand times his own. But raw power meant nothing if one couldn't control it. It was like a giant reservoir with a pitifully small faucet.
"Just like King Jioral's fake immortality… Yeah, someone's definitely pulling the strings behind all this. Even the Demon Lord's nothing but a pawn in this twisted world."
Takumi frowned, clearly irritated. But since the pawn had stepped onto the board, he had every intention of taking it.
"[Boosted]!"
The crimson gauntlet of the Boosted Gear appeared, its gem pulsing with radiant light. A surge of power erupted around him!
"The battle between Demon Lord and Hero is destiny! I, Hakuo, shall fight with everything I have—come, Hero!"
Sensing Takumi's rising aura, Hakuo roared with earth-shaking fury. The foul stench of his breath swept across the hall as his enormous body charged forward like a war chariot.
The muscles of his massive arms bulged, and from between his fingers grew razor-sharp claws.
SLASH!
Eight streaks of killing light sliced through the air, aiming straight for Takumi's face—enough to tear him apart!
But Takumi didn't flinch. Mana swirled around his arms as he swung both fists to meet the attack head-on!
BOOM!!!
The collision of fist and claw echoed like clashing iron. Hakuo staggered back several steps, his palms torn and bleeding, struggling to absorb the shockwave.
Takumi stood firm like an iron pillar, though eight crimson gashes now marred his forearms. Threads of gray-black [Corrosive Power] seeped into the wounds, eating at his flesh.
His blood bubbled and hissed, turning into foul-smelling pus that dripped to the floor.
Takumi glanced at his arm, and the red gem on his gauntlet pulsed with light.
"[Auto-Heal]!"
In an instant, the wounds vanished—even his torn clothing restored itself as though time rewound.
"So that's your Corrosive Power, huh? Pretty strong~" He grinned, shaking his arms as his aura flared even higher!
With only a single exchange, Hakuo realized the truth—this human was a nightmare.
His corrosion was useless against that healing, his opponent's power seemed to grow endlessly, and that roaring flame—it burned hotter than anything he'd ever faced.
Looking down at his claws, Hakuo saw that Takumi's fire still clung to them—spreading up his arms, melting through armor, searing flesh and fur alike.
The once-black hide of the lion lord was now raw and red, crawling with twitching muscle.
"Hahaha! You've forced me to reveal my trump card already—impressive, Hero!"
Hakuo's body began to swell grotesquely, his flesh writhing, pushing through the consuming flames.
From the twisting mass sprouted countless tendrils—each transforming into a gleaming blade—as the monstrous Lion King Hakuo roared once more, his true form unfurling in all its hideous majesty…
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