MC POV
—
"Wow… that's quite a lot of people…" (Alfia)
"Not just a lot… that's an absurd amount." (Grayfia)
Alfia and Grayfia stared in astonishment at the massive crowd of demons in front of them.
"Ugh… seeing such a huge crowd makes me a bit uncomfortable…" (Setsuna)
Seeing Setsuna looking slightly nervous, I patted her shoulder.
"Relax, just think of it like a comiket event. Or… do you want to stay at home instead?" (Arthur)
"… No. I want to see this event." (Setsuna)
Setsuna shook her head at my suggestion.
"Get used to it, Setsuna. In the future, events like this might happen several times." (Altair)
Altair smiled as she handed a canned drink to Setsuna.
"Thank you, Altair." (Setsuna)
Right now, we were in Kuro's territory, on a vast plain large enough to accommodate nearly millions of demons.
"Look at them, gathering like piles of trash…" (Abernyu)
Abernyu crossed her arms as she muttered.
"Woman, just what kind of anime have you been watching lately…" (Arthur)
I shook my head and let out a light sigh.
We were seated on a balcony in a special room within Kuro's luxurious mansion, located quite far at the rear side of the massive main platform, waiting for the event to begin.
The staff here were Shalltear's subordinates. They were the ones organizing the entire event, and they were also the ones serving us here. Each of them moved around tirelessly without rest.
"Hey, Arthur-kun~ so you've arrived~ Everyone else too, welcome." (Kuro)
I turned toward the voice and saw Kuro waving her hand in greeting.
"Kuro. We just got here." (Arthur)
I gave her a small nod. Setsuna, Alfia, Grayfia, Altair, and Abernyu also greeted Kuro.
"Nice to meet you, Kuro-sama." (Setsuna)
Setsuna slightly lowered her head.
"Hello, Kuro-sama." (Alfia)
Alfia greeted lightly.
"Greetings, Kuro-sama." (Grayfia)
Grayfia slightly lifted her skirt and bowed.
"Hey, Kuro. You look excited." (Altair)
Altair smirked faintly.
"… Good to see you, Kuro." (Abernyu)
Abernyu gave a small smile.
"Nn! I'm happy to see all of you too~" (Kuro)
Kuro waved one hand at them.
"Have the others arrived yet, Kuro?" (Arthur)
I asked while looking outside.
"They're already here, we just have to wait for Shalltear to call us. Do you want to meet the others, Arthur-kun?" (Kuro)
"Of course." (Arthur)
I nodded, then looked toward my family.
"I'll be going. Abernyu, I'll leave them to you." (Arthur)
"Alright." (Abernyu)
Kuro and I then left the room. She guided me out through the back door. As I stepped outside, the massive body of Magnawell stretched high into the sky.
Even though Magnawell was quite far from here, his body was still incredibly prominent…
I then saw Isis, Lillywood, and Megiddo. They were sitting at a round table, chatting.
"Yahallo~ good to see you all, friends." (Arthur)
This backyard area was quite peaceful, unlike the front. I guess Kuro or Shalltear had set up a barrier.
Kuro and I sat down on the available seats.
"Arthur! Long time no see—or rather, just a month! I heard you've been living in a floating palace above the Forbidden Lands." (Megiddo)
Megiddo, in her beast form, laughed casually as she greeted me. It still felt strange seeing this woman in her beast form.
"Arthur… good morning…" (Isis)
Isis smiled as she greeted me.
"Hello, Arthur." (Lillywood)
Lillywood greeted politely.
"It seems you've grown quite comfortable living here, Arthur." (Magnawell)
Magnawell added briefly.
"Haha… yeah, something like that." (Arthur)
I laughed awkwardly in response to Magnawell.
We chatted lightly for a while before Shalltear finally appeared. She looked exhausted as she walked toward her seat.
"Sigh… I'm tired…" (Shalltear)
Shalltear sat in the last empty chair and laid her head on the table.
This woman really loves to exaggerate…
"… You have plenty of clones, Shalltear. Do you think I don't know your abilities…" (Arthur)
I spoke in a flat tone.
"So what! I'm really tired! You all should be grateful to me for handling all these troublesome things!" (Shalltear)
Shalltear angrily slammed the table repeatedly.
"Don't be so dramatic, Shalltear~ You're making plenty of profit here~" (Megiddo)
Megiddo gave a mocking grin.
"Wipe that disgusting grin off your face, gorilla! Your face scares me~" (Shalltear)
Shalltear snapped back sharply.
"Flat-chested brat! Want to fight!?" (Megiddo)
"Wild gorilla! Come here! I'll train you into a domesticated one!" (Shalltear)
Megiddo and Shalltear began throwing insults at each other.
"Calm down, both of you. Kuromueina is here—do you want to make her angry…" (Lillywood)
Lillywood reminded them with a tired expression.
"Ugh…" (Megiddo)
"Ah…" (Shalltear)
Megiddo and Shalltear immediately shut their mouths when they saw Kuro showing a terrifying smile toward them.
"Do you two want to experience a strong flick from me?" (Kuro)
Kuro asked with a gentle tone, but her eyes didn't match her smile.
"No, Ma'am!!" (Shalltear, Megiddo)
Both of them answered desperately while shaking their heads rapidly.
Yeah… for them, Kuro's flick was extremely painful. I guess they were traumatized by it…
"… Shalltear, aren't there too many people attending this event?" (Magnawell)
Magnawell asked curiously.
"This is nearly in the millions, isn't it?" (Lillywood)
Lillywood added.
"There's no problem. I just want in every corner of the Demon Realm to understand what those who stand at the top look like. This is a deterrent." (Shalltear)
Shalltear rested her cheek on her hand as she leaned on the table.
"At the very least, it will reduce unnecessary disturbances…" (Shalltear)
She added casually.
"... Arthur-san, if someone provokes you later… I hope you can hold back a little when dealing with it…" (Shalltear)
Hearing Shalltear's request, I let out a small sigh.
"Sigh… that might be a bit difficult. It's my subordinates that I'm worried about… I don't know how they'll respond to something like that…" (Arthur)
Especially Abernyu and Altair… who knows what they would do if someone tried to mess with me…
"… That's concerning. Especially since some of them are extremely unusual…" (Shalltear)
Shalltear muttered quietly.
"Right, you already have subordinates now. I heard they're very strong, Arthur?" (Megiddo)
Megiddo asked curiously.
"Yeah, they're both my subordinates and my family. And of course, they're strong." (Arthur)
I answered with a smug expression.
"Nn~ Arthur-kun's family is very strong." (Kuro)
Kuro nodded in confirmation.
"Hoo… now I'm curious." (Megiddo)
"… Don't even think about fighting again, Megiddo." (Lillywood)
Lillywood warned her when she saw Megiddo's excited expression.
"… Hahaha… of course not…" (Megiddo)
Megiddo laughed awkwardly, sweating slightly when Kuro glared at her.
We continued chatting until the event finally began.
—
3rd POV
—
Abernyu and the others were watching the main platform from the special executive seating area. The executives of each subordinate under the Seven Kings were also present in their designated sections.
The Seven Kings stood side by side, looking down at the crowd—only Magnawell stood out as a massive presence in the background, gazing over the entire gathering below.
"… And from here, we will begin the introduction of the Seven Kings one by one…" (Pandora)
One of Shalltear's executives, Pandora, spoke. Her voice echoed throughout the audience, amplified by magic.
"World King — Lillywood Yggdrasil!!" (Pandora)
Lillywood stepped forward with a smile. A green aura enveloped her body, giving off both elegance and intimidation.
"Dragon King — Magnawell Baskus Lardo Kurtzvald!!" (Pandora)
Magnawell slightly lowered his head, looking down. Anyone who saw the sheer size of his head could feel an overwhelming pressure from him.
"War King — Megiddo Argetes Borgnes!!" (Pandora)
"Roooaaaarr!!!" (Megiddo)
Megiddo roared loudly, releasing a shockwave toward the audience. The demons trembled as they felt her roar.
"Death King — Isis Remnant!!" (Pandora)
Isis stepped forward. A pale blue aura surrounded her body. The aura of death magic instilled deep fear into all demons.
"Phantasmal King — No Face!!" (Pandora)
Shalltear, her body wrapped in a black hooded cloak and chains, stepped forward casually. Only her mouth was visible, forming a cold smile. Shalltear did not emit any aura or pressure at all—she merely took a small step forward… even so, for the demons who remembered the previous genocide, Shalltear appeared utterly terrifying.
"Underworld King — Kuromueina!!" (Pandora)
Kuro stepped forward with a cheerful smile, waving one hand at the audience. The demons looked at her with both admiration and fear. Her strength was already well-known across the Demon Realm. Despite her loli appearance, to them, she was a monster wearing the skin of a young girl.
"Terminus King — Arthur Twilight!!" (Pandora)
Arthur stepped forward normally. The demons who saw him looked confused, wondering why an ordinary person could stand alongside the other kings.
"… Is there some kind of mistake?"
"… Why can he become a king? The other kings wouldn't choose him without reason…"
The demons began whispering among themselves.
"Maybe… even if he looks normal, his strength is actually comparable to the kings…"
Some demons believed the other kings wouldn't choose an ordinary person.
"What the hell… why can a weakling become a king… if he can be chosen, why not me…"
"Tch… I should be the one worthy of being a king… that lowly man doesn't deserve to stand there…"
Whispers of denial from several demons also began to be heard. They could not accept that someone weak could be chosen as a king… they couldn't even accept the fact that the other kings would never choose someone weak. The demons who whispered their dissatisfaction were those who were unhappy with Shalltear's large-scale reforms… those who were discontent, yet chose to remain silent because their strength was inferior compared to the kings.
Arthur's subordinates, who possessed extremely sharp perception, naturally heard all of those whispers. Among the Guardians of The End, Abernyu and Altair's expressions became distorted upon hearing everything. A faint pressure slowly began to leak from their bodies.
Grayfia, Alfia, and Setsuna didn't dare to speak… they even began sweating as they felt that pressure. Their bodies froze as if restrained by an unseen force.
"Abernyu-sama… Altair… please calm yourselves…" (Grayfia)
With great effort, Grayfia managed to speak, her voice strained.
"… My fault… hearing the buzzing of flies irritates me." (Abernyu)
"Yeah… sorry." (Altair)
They withdrew their pressure and took deep breaths.
"Still, those maggots need to be taught a lesson… I don't want to hear them dare oppose my king again." (Abernyu)
Abernyu stood up and glanced at the others.
"Altair, I'll be gone for a moment. In the meantime, watch over them." (Abernyu)
"Of course. If you didn't go, I would have." (Altair)
Altair smiled coldly as she looked toward the crowd of demons.
Abernyu then teleported directly above the crowd… her gaze looking down at the demons with complete indifference.
…
When Arthur saw Abernyu suddenly appear in the sky, his eyes twitched slightly.
"Arthur-san… Abernyu-san looks very irritated…" (Shalltear)
Shalltear whispered softly toward Arthur.
"… Yeah, I can see that too…" (Arthur)
The Seven Kings looked at Abernyu with curiosity, wondering what she was about to do.
Abernyu's eyes suddenly emitted a black light.
'VMMMM…'
"You lowly maggots… how dare you insult my king. Perish along with the core of your existence." (Abernyu)
Every living being in the surrounding area suddenly felt an extremely dangerous threat. Their survival instincts screamed that their very existence could be erased by that black light.
"… What kind of eyes are those…?" (Kuro)
Kuro stared at Abernyu in shock.
"Divine Eyes of the End… those eyes are a micro manifestation of Abernyu's 'Destruction'." (Arthur)
Arthur explained briefly.
"Abernyu is the embodiment of destruction. Her very existence is a threat to everything." (Arthur)
Hearing Arthur's explanation, the other Seven Kings broke out in cold sweat. They hadn't expected that Arthur's subordinate was Destruction itself.
'What kind of abomination did he bring into this world!! Damn it! This is giving me a headache!' (Shalltear)
Shalltear's thoughts fell into disarray upon hearing that.
"She's amazing… She can control such immense power with precision…" (Isis)
Isis looked at Abernyu with admiration.
"Don't worry, Isis. You'll be able to control your power soon as well. I already told you I'd help… you can come to my place anytime for that." (Arthur)
"Nn… thank you… Arthur." (Isis)
Isis smiled happily upon hearing Arthur's words.
Abernyu slowly descended downward.
"Damn it!! What the hell is that woman!?"
"Attack her!!! Don't let her get closer!!"
"Run!! Get away from here!!!"
The demons began scattering in all directions. When they felt Abernyu's overwhelming pressure, panic spread among them. Some began to attack, while others tried to flee.
Instantly, the demons within Abernyu's sight began to disintegrate.
"Arrrrggghh!!"
One demon attempted to attack by rushing toward Abernyu. He leaped forward and swung a massive sword in his hand.
"Pointless." (Abernyu)
Just before the sword could reach her, the demon's body suddenly stopped. It froze completely, unable to move even a single inch.
Abernyu then looked at the demon, her eyes glowing once more.
'VMMM…'
The moment the black light shone upon him, his body instantly disintegrated.
'Whoossshh…'
His entire existence vanished without a trace.
Seeing that, mass panic erupted.
"AAHHH! I TOLD YOU WE SHOULD RUN!!"
"ATTACK TOGETHER!!"
"STOP!! DON'T PROVOKE HER ANYMORE!!"
Watching this, Abernyu decided to use a bit more of her power.
'Vwooom!!'
A black sun suddenly appeared in the sky.
"Arthur-san, what is that…?" (Shalltear)
Shalltear stared seriously at the massive black sun.
"… That is Sarjieldenav." (Arthur)
Arthur answered briefly while looking at the sun.
"Sarjieldenav…?" (Megiddo)
Megiddo asked.
"Think of it as the physical manifestation of Abernyu's 'Destruction'… it is her 'Sun of Destruction'." (Arthur)
"No wonder I can feel such a terrifying threat from that sun…" (Magnawell)
"… All life would come to an end before that sun…" (Lillywood)
Magnawell and Lillywood muttered quietly, their voices trembling.
'VWOOOM…'
Black light began to envelop several demons, and every demon touched by that light instantly started to disintegrate. All demons tried to escape, but their bodies froze, unable to move. They were completely powerless against the horrifying phenomenon unfolding before them.
"AAHHH!!"
"SOMEONE SAVE ME…"
"NOOO…"
Several demons began disappearing rapidly, their existence erased completely from the world.
"Arthur-kun, I think this is enough. You need to stop Abernyu before she wipes everyone out…" (Kuro)
Kuro's face showed concern as she watched the scene. As expected, she couldn't bear to see them vanish like that.
"It's fine, Kuro. Abernyu is controlling her power, she won't erase everyone." (Arthur)
Arthur glanced at Kuro before looking back at Abernyu.
"But… I suppose you're right… this is enough." (Arthur)
Arthur then called out to Abernyu.
"Abernyu." (Arthur)
Even though his tone was flat, Arthur's voice still echoed throughout the area. All the immobilized demons turned their eyes toward him.
"Arthur…?" (Abernyu)
Abernyu looked toward Arthur.
"That's enough. Go back…" (Arthur)
"Sigh… understood…" (Abernyu)
Abernyu gave a slight nod. The black sun then disappeared as if it had never existed, followed by Abernyu vanishing to somewhere unknown.
The surrounding field had completely changed. The ground was filled with cracks and had dried out entirely—this place had turned into a dead land.
'Clap…'
After that, Arthur clapped his hands once to draw everyone's attention.
The demons were still shaken by what they had just experienced. Abernyu had erased around a hundred thousand demons in an instant… the crowd that had originally numbered in the millions had been cut down immediately.
They looked at Arthur with fearful eyes.
"Now then… the woman who just erased some of you is my subordinate… you should more or less understand the strength of my subordinates by now." (Arthur)
Arthur smirked as he slowly stepped forward.
"Next… you should try to understand my power~" (Arthur)
'BOOOOM!!' 'CRACK…'
An incomprehensible yet terrifying pressure suddenly spread throughout the entire area.
The platform around Arthur began to sink, and cracks started spreading in every direction.
Even some of the kings began to tremble because of it… despite Arthur not targeting his allies at all.
"ACCCKK…"
"CAN'T… BREATHE…"
"PLEASE… STOP…"
Suddenly, the space around Arthur distorted. Cracks slowly opened—revealing eyes within them. Each crack was the birth of a new vision, and their number was impossible to count.
Those eyes had no consistent form. Some resembled swirling galaxies, some were like lightless black holes. Some wept dark liquid, while others pulsed like beating hearts.
When those eyes 'observed', the entire space seemed to bend. Not because 'it' moved—but because reality itself tried to adjust to the way 'it' perceived the world.
Some demons began to feel something strange. At first, it was only discomfort. As if there was something 'wrong' with what they were seeing.
They tried to comprehend the form of that 'thing'… but failed. Every time they thought they understood, 'its' form changed—or perhaps it was their minds that changed. Their heartbeats accelerated. Their breathing became tight. Then, a single thought suddenly surfaced in their minds; 'You should not be seeing this.'
Their thoughts no longer felt like their own. Strange voices began to appear—not as whispers, but as thoughts that felt foreign. They could no longer distinguish which thoughts belonged to themselves, and which did not. Foreign memories, foreign knowledge—information that could not be understood—was forcibly pushed into their minds.
Slowly, their minds began to collapse. Not shattered in a single explosion—but peeled away layer by layer, leaving behind something empty… yet still conscious.
Their bodies felt cold and numb. Blood began to flow from their eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
…
"Ugh… what the hell is 'that'...?" (Lillywood)
Lillywood trembled violently as she looked at 'that', a nauseating feeling rising within her.
"My mind… it hurts so much…" (Magnawell)
Magnawell staggered slightly, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
"… This is madness…" (Megiddo)
Megiddo tried to remain standing, her body trembling.
"… Arthur…" (Isis)
Isis looked toward Arthur with worry, her face slightly pale.
"… You can call 'it' an eldritch being… 'that' is an entity… something that originates from what cannot be understood by logic—whether from a reality different from ours, a higher dimension… or something completely beyond all of that…" (Shalltear)
Shalltear, trying to calm herself, explained slowly.
"Do not try to understand 'it'… your minds will not be able to endure…" (Shalltear)
Shalltear then created a multi-dimensional barrier for the other Seven Kings and the staff who had collapsed around them.
After forming the barrier, Shalltear slowly tried to approach Arthur. However, the terrifying pressure grew stronger the closer she got.
"Arthur-san!! Stop!!!" (Shalltear)
Even though Shalltear shouted, Arthur remained silent, staring at the crowd with indifferent eyes.
"It's useless, Shalltear… Arthur-kun seems unable to hear us… we need to get closer to stop him." (Kuro)
Kuro spoke with a worried expression.
"Hm… just as I thought, my king has sunk into his emotions…" (Abernyu)
Abernyu suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
…
A few moments after Abernyu returned…
When Arthur released his pressure, Grayfia, Alfia, and Setsuna began to feel intense fear.
"Is… this Arthur-sama's true power…?" (Grayfia)
Grayfia asked softly.
"No. This can't even be considered a fragment of Arthur's power." (Altair)
Altair answered calmly.
"You cannot measure an entity like Arthur…" (Abernyu)
Abernyu added.
As they saw the situation worsening…
"This is bad… Arthur is slowly sinking into his emotions." (Abernyu)
Abernyu began to panic as she saw Arthur's eyes growing darker.
"I'll go. Altair, I'll leave this place to you again." (Abernyu)
"Understood." (Altair)
Seeing Abernyu leave, Altair then created multiple layered barriers surrounding the entire executive stands.
…
"Abernyu… can you wake Arthur-kun?" (Kuro)
Kuro asked urgently.
"Sigh… Arthur is currently in a trance-like state. He will come back once someone touches him…" (Abernyu)
"It's that simple?" (Shalltear)
Shalltear couldn't believe what she heard.
"It is that simple… but you have to reach him first." (Abernyu)
Abernyu replied with an expressionless face.
"Ugh… you're right." (Shalltear)
Shalltear scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"Alright. Let's do it together… It's more efficient… and we even don't know who will succeed first..." (Kuro)
Kuro clenched her fist and moved to Arthur's left side.
"Haaah… fine." (Shalltear)
Shalltear approached from the right side.
"My king…" (Abernyu)
Abernyu walked to stand in front of Arthur.
The three of them slowly—but surely—managed to approach Arthur. Even though the pressure they felt kept increasing… they were still able to move forward.
Sweat began to drip from Abernyu, Shalltear, and Kuro. Their bodies felt heavier with each step toward Arthur.
'Tap' 'Tap' 'Tap'
The three of them tapped Arthur's body at the same time.
"Hah…." (Arthur)
Arthur snapped out of it and looked around in confusion.
"Damn…" (Arthur)
Arthur quickly withdrew his pressure.
"Sorry for troubling the three of you…" (Arthur)
Seeing Abernyu, Shalltear, and Kuro exhausted… Arthur felt a bit guilty.
"It's fine, Arthur-kun…" (Kuro)
Kuro gave a wry smile while wiping the sweat on her forehead.
"Huft… you really are troublesome, Arthur-san…" (Shalltear)
Shalltear glared sharply at Arthur in annoyance.
"I'm glad you're back, Arthur…" (Abernyu)
Abernyu smiled toward Arthur.
"Sigh… I was aware from the beginning… I just got too absorbed in my emotions." (Arthur)
Arthur let out a bitter laugh while shaking his head.
"Fortunately, I controlled it and only targeted those who had malicious intent toward me." (Arthur)
Arthur looked at the crowd—around one hundred and fifty thousand demons had become casualties… some had already died, and others had lost their sanity.
"Arthur-san… was that earlier… your true form?" (Shalltear)
Shalltear asked curiously.
Abernyu and the other Seven Kings also looked at Arthur, wanting to know.
"No. That was just something I manifested on a whim." (Arthur)
Arthur answered honestly while looking around.
'This sense of indifference… or rather, this emptiness… is truly troublesome.' (Arthur)
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