Location: The Dimensional Gap -> The Demon Realm (West District)
Event: Arrival
Atmosphere: Toxic and Spicy
The portal swirled with chaotic red and black energy. Stepping out of it felt like walking through a curtain of heavy velvet.
Raiden was the first to emerge. He took a deep breath.
The air in the Demon Realm was thick with miasma. To a normal human, it was poisonous. To a Demon, it was invigorating.
To Raiden, it was seasoning.
"Smells like paprika and sulfur," Raiden noted, expanding his chest. "And a hint of... fear."
Mio, Basara, Yuki, Kurumi, and Maria followed him out.
Mio coughed slightly. " The density of magic here... it's suffocating."
"This is the Demon Realm," Maria explained, her tail twitching nervously. "It's a world of survival of the fittest. Mio-sama, stay close to Master Raiden. Your scent as Wilbert's daughter will attract predators."
Raiden looked at the horizon. The sky was a permanent twilight purple. The moon was red and cracked.
In the distance, a massive colosseum dominated the skyline of the capital city.
"That's the kitchen," Raiden pointed to the arena. "Let's go."
Location: The Outer City Market
The group walked through the bustling streets. Demons of all shapes and sizes- Ogres, Succubi, Vampires, Beastmen - roamed the stalls.
Raiden, using his [Charm of the Sovereign] and [Dragon Aura], parted the crowd like the Red Sea. Lesser demons instinctively moved out of his way, sensing a predator that could eat them whole.
Raiden stopped at a food stall.
A four-armed goblin was grilling a massive tentacle that was still wriggling.
"What is this?" Raiden asked.
"Kraken leg marinated in Magma Sauce!" the goblin grunted. "Spiciest thing in the market! Might melt your tongue, pretty boy!"
"Give me ten."
Raiden paid with a gold coin he had looted from Zolgia's lab.
He took a bite of the wriggling, burning tentacle.
Sizzle.
"Hot," Raiden chewed calmly while Basara looked horrified. "The texture is rubbery, but the heat... it wakes up the stomach."
[System Alert]
[Consumed: Magma Kraken]
[Fire Resistance: +1%]
[Stomach Status: Warmed Up]
Kurumi stared at him. "You're eating a monster that's trying to strangle your uvula."
"It fights back," Raiden swallowed. "That makes it fresh."
They reached the central plaza where the Tournament Registration was taking place.
A massive crystal orb sat on a pedestal.
An official in official military uniform stood by it.
"Next!" the official shouted. "Place your hand on the orb to measure your Magical Power Value (MPV). Only those with an MPV over 5,000 can enter!"
A massive Minotaur stepped up. He roared and touched the orb.
Ping. [5,200]
"Pass! Next!"
Basara stepped up. He touched it.
Ping. [12,000] (Suppressed).
"Pass! Impressive for a human!"
Mio stepped up.
Ping. [ERROR - High Density]. The number flickered to [50,000+].
The official's eyes widened. "Wilbert's daughter... as expected."
Raiden stepped up, finishing his last Kraken leg.
He wiped his grease-stained hand on his pants and placed it on the orb.
"Don't break it," the official warned. "This crystal is enchanted to withstand - "
Raiden didn't channel magic. He just let his Presence leak out.
The orb didn't glow. It turned black.
Then, it started to vibrate. A low hum, like a jet engine, filled the plaza.
[Reading...]
[Reading...]
[Value: ∞ ? No. Value: Hunger.]
CRACK.
The crystal shattered into dust.
Not just the crystal. The pedestal crumbled. The ground beneath the pedestal cracked in a spiderweb pattern for fifty meters.
The official fell on his butt. "My... my scouter!"
Raiden looked at the dust.
"Cheap glass. It couldn't handle the appetizer."
He looked at the official.
"Am I registered? Or do I need to eat the registration booth too?"
"Y-You're in! Team 'Demon Lord's Daughter' is registered!"
A slow clap echoed from the balcony of the palace overlooking the plaza.
The crowd went silent. They knelt instantly.
Standing there was a man with wild red hair, wearing regal armor that exposed his scarred chest. He radiated power like a furnace.
Leohart. The Current Demon Lord.
"Interesting," Leohart's voice carried over the city without magic. "I felt a disturbance in the mana flow. It was you."
Leohart jumped.
He didn't use magic to fly. He just jumped from the high tower and landed in the plaza with a meteor impact.
BOOM.
He stood up from the crater, towering over Raiden.
"You aren't a Demon," Leohart sniffed. "You smell like... scales. And the Void."
Raiden looked up at Leohart.
[Gluttony Analysis]
[Target: Leohart]
[Flavor Profile: Aged Steak, Charcoal, Blood, and pure Combat Spirit.]
"You look chewy," Raiden grinned.
The crowd gasped. He just called the Demon Lord "chewy."
Leohart laughed. "HAHAHA! Chewy?! Good! Very good! I was worried this tournament would be boring!"
Leohart leaned in close, his face inches from Raiden's.
"Mio Naruse is here to claim my throne. But you... you are here for something else."
"I'm here for the buffet," Raiden's eyes glowed purple. "And the prize money. My family eats a lot."
"Then survive the preliminaries," Leohart turned around, his cape swirling. "If you make it to the finals... I will let you take a bite. If you can."
Location: The "Crimson Moon" Inn
Time: Night
The group secured a large suite (paid for by pawning some of Zolgia's equipment).
There was only one King-sized bed and two sofas.
"Okay," Raiden claimed the bed instantly, diving onto it. "I'm taking this. Being a Dragon is tiring."
"Wait!" Kurumi shouted. "What about Onee-chan and Mio-sama?"
"They can join me," Raiden mumbled into the pillow. "The bed is big enough for three."
Mio turned red. "I am not sleeping with you!"
"You're my Servant," Raiden reminded her, waving his hand. The Crest of Lust on Mio's collarbone glowed warm.
Mio's knees buckled. "Ugh... that's cheating..."
Maria pushed Mio toward the bed. "Go on, Mio-sama! Body heat sharing is crucial for survival in the Demon Realm!"
Basara sighed, taking a blanket to the sofa. "I'll take first watch."
Yuki and Kurumi took the other sofa.
Kurumi glared at Raiden. "If I hear any strange noises, I'm throwing an Axe."
"The only noise you'll hear is digestion," Raiden rolled over.
But as he closed his eyes, Raiden's mind wasn't on sleep.
He was sensing the enemies in the city.
Assassins on the roof. Three of them.
Spies in the hallway. Two.
And a massive energy signature waiting in the sewers.
"They really can't wait for the opening bell," Raiden thought.
Raiden opened the window quietly. He slipped out onto the balcony.
Three dark figures - Shadow Demons - were clinging to the wall, ready to infiltrate.
"Target acquired," one whispered. "Sleeping. Vulnera -"
Raiden was suddenly behind them, floating in the air with his spectral wings.
"You guys are like Uber Eats," Raiden whispered. "Delivered right to my window."
Before they could scream, Raiden's arm transformed.
It became a mass of black shadows - mimicking their own ability.
[Gluttony: Mimicry]
He grabbed all three heads at once.
Squelch.
He absorbed them.
"Tastes like ink. Low calories."
He looked down at the street.
A massive Behemoth was stomping through the empty market, seemingly unleashed by a rival faction to cause chaos before the tournament.
"Big dog," Raiden cracked his neck. "Basara is sleeping. I should handle the noise complaint."
Raiden dropped from the balcony.
He landed on the Behemoth's back.
"Sit."
He applied the weight of a mountain using gravity magic he ate from the Earth Spirit.
CRACK.
The Behemoth was flattened instantly against the cobblestones.
Raiden patted the monster's head.
"Be a good boy. Or I'll turn you into jerky."
The Behemoth whimpered and rolled over, submitting completely.
[System Update]
[Pet Acquired: Behemoth (Temporary Mount)]
Location: Leohart's War Room
Leohart looked at the tournament bracket.
"Sir," his advisor Lars (Takigawa) said. "You put Raiden in Block A? That's the 'Death Block'."
"Yes," Leohart grinned. "Block A contains the General of the Armored Corps, the Venom Queen, and the Mad Berserker."
"They will die," Lars said bluntly.
"I know," Leohart poured a glass of wine. "I want to see how they die. Does he burn them? Slash them? Or..."
Leohart shivered with anticipation.
"...does he really eat them?"