"Tch!"
Vivian caught the glance, Kurose Akira—had cast in her direction. Instantly, she put on an expression of open irritation.
No matter how much time passed, she could never forget the psychological torment he had once inflicted on her. Naturally, she held absolutely no goodwill toward him.
Akira, however, paid Vivian's hostility no mind.
His gaze had already shifted to a man who had just arrived.
The man was extraordinarily tall—well over two meters in height. He wore lavish aristocratic attire, and upon his head rested a black crown that shimmered with a strange, otherworldly glow.
On his square, severe face was a bizarre scar that immediately drew attention. It didn't resemble the sort of wound left behind by battle. Instead, it looked more like some kind of symbol… a mark deliberately carved into flesh.
"Is that Prince Thales?"
Akira recognized the man at a glance.
Within the entire Stellar Kingdom, Thales' combat strength ranked second only to the legendary Stellar Knight, a demigod-level powerhouse. In fact, Thales himself was said to be just a single step away from reaching that same demigod realm.
"His presence is terrifying…"
Shen Siqi shuddered the moment she laid eyes on Prince Thales.
Around them, many of the players showed similar expressions of apprehension. The prince's ferocious appearance, combined with the suffocating aura radiating from his body, inspired instinctive fear.
Yet for Akira, Thales had little direct impact.
Instead, a strange and inexplicable sense of disgust stirred within his chest.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Prince Thales' gaze fell upon him.
It was only a brief glance—but Akira could clearly feel the immense pressure contained within it.
He immediately grew wary.
Why had Thales noticed him?
Had the prince already discovered that he was the one who abducted Virola? Or perhaps that he had killed one of the prince's Stellar Knights?
However, after that single look, Thales withdrew his gaze and continued walking toward the elevated platform where Vivian stood.
"Uncle Thales."
When Vivian saw the prince approach, she maintained the respectful demeanor expected of a younger relative. Yet within her icy eyes, unmistakable hostility flickered.
"Mm."
Prince Thales merely gave a cold response before turning away to stand with a group of royal nobles nearby. His face remained stern and indifferent, as though everything around him was beneath his concern.
Once all the important figures had assembled, Princess Vivian turned her gaze toward the vast sea of people below.
With a small spell, she amplified her voice so that it rang clearly in everyone's ears.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Stellar Kingdom—to witness this final moment together…"
After an excessively long and ceremonial speech, the true purpose of the gathering finally arrived.
A smile appeared on Vivian's face as she raised her voice and declared:
"And now, please welcome our Stellar Knight—Aremos!"
As her words fell, a man clad entirely in armor slowly walked out from the depths of the royal palace.
His appearance instantly drew everyone's attention.
Countless eyes focused on him.
Surprisingly, the man was not particularly imposing. In fact, he appeared somewhat small and thin, standing only around 1.6 meters tall.
The armor he wore was equally unremarkable—a standard suit of enforcement knight armor. It wasn't ornate in the slightest, and it was riddled with scars and cracks, as though it might shatter at any moment.
Moreover, in stark contrast to Prince Thales' sharp and intimidating presence, this Stellar Knight's aura felt…
Gentle.
Weathered.
If Prince Thales resembled a towering mountain that inspired awe and fear…
Then this Stellar Knight was like a deep, unfathomable ocean—impossible to measure, impossible to see the bottom.
Everyone present felt the weight of his immense power.
Only a handful of individuals managed to maintain calm expressions.
"He looks insanely strong!"
"Man, if my guild had a demigod like that…"
"Are you dreaming? Even A-rank guilds don't have demigods!"
"The game hasn't been out long enough yet. Maybe in a year or two, an adventurer guild might produce one."
"Why would a demigod join a guild anyway? To experience life?"
"…"
The players erupted into lively discussion.
Facing a demigod-level existence for the first time, they were filled with excitement and curiosity.
At the same time, envoys from various nations displayed deep reverence upon seeing him.
In every kingdom, a demigod was a figure of immense importance—symbols of prosperity and stability, and a deterrent powerful enough to make rival nations think twice before acting.
"Something about his aura isn't right."
At that moment, Lucia quietly spoke beside Akira's ear.
Akira immediately grew alert.
"What do you mean?"
Lucia paused briefly, then transmitted her voice directly into his mind through telepathy.
"I can sense it… the flame of his life is about to go out. He likely doesn't have much time left."
"?"
Akira's expression turned serious.
He looked again at the demigod-level Stellar Knight.
If a demigod's life were nearing its end…
That meant the nation he protected could soon face decline—or even destruction.
Yet it seemed that Lucia was the only one present who had noticed the abnormality.
At that moment, Princess Vivian's voice rang out again.
"In the name of the stars—"
"I beseech your power!"
She raised her hand solemnly and said,
"Please lend us your strength and defeat the powerful enemy from the Abyss!"
"Understood."
The Stellar Knight responded simply.
An orange-red magical glow immediately enveloped his body.
The next instant, he rose into the air.
Suspended high above, he drew the sword at his waist and casually swung it toward the sky.
With that single slash—
The heavens seemed to split apart.
A curtain fell away, revealing the scene hidden behind it.
Before everyone's eyes appeared a colossal Demon Lair, over one hundred meters tall.
Dense black mist surrounded it, writhing ominously. Blue lightning flickered through the darkness like living serpents, casting eerie flashes of light.
The sight instantly plunged the crowd into silence.
Their breathing grew heavy.
No one had expected that the final Demon Lair would appear directly above the royal capital of the Stellar Kingdom.
Yet something about it felt strange.
Inside the lair…
There were no monsters.
Not a single demonic creature could be seen.
Only a blue throne sat quietly at the center, emitting a faint, ghostly glow.
"Where's the Demon King?"
"Why isn't he here?"
"Did he hear Knight Aremos was coming and run back to the Abyss?"
"Hahaha! That must be it!"
"…"
The crowd burst into discussion, their voices full of mockery and confusion.
But amid the commotion—
The throne deep within the demon lair suddenly erupted with brilliant blue lightning.
The thunderous energy seemed almost alive. Lightning converged, weaving together in the air. In the blink of an eye, it condensed into the form of a massive demon.
His skin was a deep, abyssal blue.
Two curved horns rose from his head.
His face was twisted and grotesque—so horrifying that even describing it with "fangs and sharp teeth" felt insufficient.
He was terror incarnate.
And the moment the Demon King appeared, information about him popped into Akira's vision.
[Blue Kai (Legendary)]
Level: 92 (? / 92,000)Race: Demon
Strength: ?Agility: ?Magic: ?Constitution: ?
Growth: 12 (Each level grants +12 to all attributes)
Skills: (Expand)
Traits:
[Abyssal Demon]
[Sin of Lust (Incomplete)]
[Demon King (Pseudo)]
(Killing this unit will grant the ultra-rare additional title: [Demon King]!)