Where the hell did this monster come from?!
As Duanmu Huai charged toward them, both Ogawa Kentaro and Kayblis felt their scalps go numb. The look in his eyes was as if he wanted to devour them whole. Just being stared at made them feel as though their souls were being torn to pieces.
At that moment, both Kayblis and Kentaro instinctively turned toward Duanmu Huai. They could feel an unparalleled fear descending from the sky, crushing down on them like something tangible.
It felt like standing still while watching a mountain crash down upon you—if you didn't resist, there was only death!
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
Kayblis roared, releasing all of his miasma at once. He raised his arm and clawed directly at Duanmu Huai.
However—
"Get lost!!"
With a furious roar, Duanmu Huai raised his warhammer high and brought it crashing down onto Kayblis's head.
It was that simple.
Kayblis was smashed flat onto the ground, and his head went splat, turning into minced meat under a single blow.
The leader of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Realm, the strongest demon lord—Kayblis—was just like that… finished.
"RAAAAAAHHHH!!!"
At the very moment Duanmu Huai crushed Kayblis, Kentaro charged from the other side, gripping the Holy Sword Daylight. He swung from behind, thrusting straight at Duanmu Huai's heart!
However—
Even the Holy Sword Daylight, capable of breaking a demon lord's invincible barrier, struck Duanmu Huai's armor with a crisp clang—and slid off.
Not good!!
Kentaro's heart sank. Before he could react, Duanmu Huai had already turned around and grabbed him with one hand, slamming him against the nearby rock wall!
What kind of monster is this?!
Kentaro was horrified. The aura emanating from this man was fiercer than that of the former Demon King Geis who had summoned him and Miki to this world. Even Kayblis was inferior!
Could he be the new Demon King?
No—that made no sense! If he were already Demon King, why would he be looking for Miki?
While Kentaro's mind was in chaos, a girl's voice suddenly echoed from a cave not far away.
"Kentaro! Kentaro! Are you okay?!"
"Miki!!!"
Kentaro trembled. That's right—he still had to protect Miki! No matter what, he couldn't let her fall into this man's hands!
"Run! Run, Miki! You're no match for him! Get out of here—!"
Before he could finish, Duanmu Huai tightened his grip slightly, cutting off his voice.
Then Duanmu Huai looked up at the cave.
"Come out. Or I kill him."
"No—don't kill him!!"
As expected, with a scream, a pink-haired girl of about fifteen or sixteen rushed out, tears in her eyes. When she saw Duanmu Huai, she shrieked in fear—but upon seeing Kentaro in his grasp, her expression changed drastically.
"Kentaro! Give Kentaro back to me!!"
"———————!!!"
With a scream, her eyes turned blood-red. A violent surge of power erupted outward in the form of freezing cold, spreading in all directions from her body. The demon soldiers who hadn't escaped—and even Kayblis's corpse—were instantly engulfed, shattering into ice crystals in the blink of an eye.
So this is the Demon King's power? Interesting.
Feeling the immense force erupting from the girl, Duanmu Huai wasn't surprised. A Demon King weak in power would've long been killed. Judging from this, her strength was indeed formidable—at least stronger than Jill.
But for Duanmu Huai, this level of cold wasn't much stronger than air conditioning.
"Miki, no! You can't become the Demon King!"
Kentaro's face changed drastically, but the girl was already completely overtaken by the Demon King's blood. Her crimson eyes glared at Duanmu Huai as she raised her hand—
"Hmph!"
For ordinary people of this world, facing such power would require everything they had.
For Duanmu Huai?
Trivial.
He snorted coldly and stepped forward. In the next instant, a raging tide of terror aura erupted from him like a tsunami, slamming directly into the girl!
Her freezing power was shattered instantly. She screamed and was blasted backward, collapsing onto the ground.
"Such a hassle."
Duanmu Huai tossed Kentaro aside and strode over, grabbing the girl by the collar.
Soon, the Demon King's aura dissipated from her body.
Everything returned to normal.
Done.
After confirming the Demon King's blood within her had been purified, Duanmu Huai let out a breath and set the stunned girl back down.
"Miki!!"
Kentaro rushed over and grabbed her.
"Are you okay, Miki?!"
"Kentaro? I…?"
Hearing her childhood friend's voice, Miki looked confused. She looked at Kentaro, then at her own hands.
"What happened to me?"
"What did you do to Miki?!"
Seeing she was unharmed, Kentaro felt relieved, then turned and demanded angrily.
Duanmu Huai glanced at him.
"Nothing. I just purified the Demon King's blood in her body."
"What? How dare you— …huh?"
Halfway through shouting, both Kentaro and Miki realized what he had said and stared at him in shock.
"What did you say?"
"I've purified the Demon King's blood in that little girl. She's just an ordinary human now."
"R-really?!"
The two were in disbelief.
They had traveled across the continent seeking a way to free Miki from the Demon King's blood—with no success.
And now this man had simply… done it?
Moreover, Kentaro could feel that his own body—which had been transformed into a demon by Miki—had returned to that of a human as well!
"Why would you do this?"
"The existence of a Demon King is a threat to humanity. Of course it had to be removed. Either purify her blood—or kill her. Would you prefer I killed her?"
"———————"
They shook their heads frantically.
"More importantly—why did you attack me on sight?"
"Uh…"
Miki and Kentaro exchanged awkward glances. Kentaro scratched his head sheepishly.
"…When I saw you just now, I thought you were some kind of Demon King…"
With that entrance—descending like a god of slaughter and demanding the Demon King—it was hard not to think that!
"I thought so too…" Miki nodded timidly.
"..."
So it's my fault?
With Miki purified, the threat of this world was finally eliminated.
The Demon Realm was destroyed. The Demon King was purified.
Now only one matter remained.
Hornet—and her demon lords.
"This is my condition."
Facing Hornet, Duanmu Huai didn't hide his intentions in the slightest.
The reason he spared her was simple: male monsters had to die, but female monsters could be integrated into human society as demi-humans.
In fact, he had struggled over how to handle female monsters. At first, he considered turning them into something like Pokémon—monster companions.
But then he realized that was unreliable.
After all, no matter how cute Pikachu was, it couldn't turn into a beautiful girl, right? And if it did turn into a beautiful girl—could Ash really keep it together?
In the end, Duanmu Huai decided to classify all female monsters as demi-humans, similar to the Karas or dwarves.
Hornet would serve as their ruler.
That was the real reason he spared her.
"…I understand what you mean."
Hornet's expression was complicated.
From the very beginning, Duanmu Huai had bluntly told her that the Creator God and the Three Transcendent Gods were completely dead. He now held authority over this world.
She had wanted to dismiss it as absurd fantasy.
But the facts were before her.
She had no choice but to believe.
In that case, her options were very limited.
"But you want me to become your familiar? Are you certain I would submit to you?"
Though a demon lord, she governed female monsters and understood the implications.
Duanmu Huai smiled confidently.
"You'd better hope you can submit."
"Otherwise…"
"I'll have to use another method."
(End of Chapter)