Just as Obera pushed open the White Door inlaid with gold, what met his eyes was a hall strewn with unconscious nobles, and the King himself, trembling, tears streaking down his face…
"Your Majesty! What happened? Are you hurt?!" Obera
"Hi-hihiii~ D-damn it… T-that's no longer my son… curse it all. I should've realized from the start…"
"Your Majesty, please, do not blame yourself! Tell me—what happened here?" (Obera)
"K-khihih~ W-what happened is…"
I was in the middle of the Annual Assembly with the nobles, discussing the export–import tax reforms to be applied in Re-Kastrize, Damaris, and Ecorassia. As always, my son Jercnix attended by my side—me seated at the head of the table, him standing beside me.
Then, it happened.
Scarlet lights—wrapping the entire capital—appeared outside the conference hall window. Confusion broke out among the nobles. And in the midst of it… Jercnix laughed. That single laugh shattered the tense air. While Phillip tried to calm the crowd and report, Jercnix somehow pierced through Phillip's steel cuirass and killed him in one strike, as if his body was made of paper. Panic exploded including myself.
Phillip… I had thought of him as one of the Kingdom's two shields—Reinhard being the other, the kingdom's ace. And Jercnix… laughed, blood staining his golden hair, before speaking words that froze my very soul:
"I am Archdemon Kyuze, yahahaha! I'm here to take over this kingdom from fools like you!"
When I asked where my real son was, he only sneered
"Hah? You mean the owner of this body? Kyehahahaha—IDIOT! Obviously, he's already dead!"
The wretched thing then shed Jercnix's body whole, as though a snake sloughing off its skin. The true form emerged—a hideous black demon with ebony horns, golden eyes, and two pitch-black wings stretching from its back.
"Come here!"
Kyuze lunged at me. But just before his claws could tear into my throat, a hand gripped his wrist from the side.
"Yo~ vermin. Seems my hunch was right. Forgive my lateness, Your Majesty—Reinhard Harling Dayrich, at your service. I will be your sword."
Dressed in pure white with steel plating over his chest and greaves, Reinhard stopped the Archdemon's strike with his right hand.
"Reinhard… kill him." Carlyle
"Are you certain, Your Majesty?"
"Yes… my son is gone. The only mercy left is to slay this wretch and bury Jercnix's body."
"As you command." Carlyle
With a single motion, their clash began—strength against strength—until their impact blasted them upward, tearing through the ceiling, through floor after floor…
— Reinhard's POV
"KYAHAHAHA! What a perfect place to be your grave, Holy Knight! You've even done me the favor of letting my creatures slip in to become offerings for my evolution!"
So before this… he was only a veteran Greater Demon? Then now—he's still only a low-class Archdemon. I must erase him quickly.
Reinhard drew the blade at his left hip.
"This is the sword that will end your evil—[Holy Charge]!"
His blade shone with holy radiance as he clashed with Kyuze—slash for slash, dodge for dodge. Sparks screeched. Minutes passed, yet he could not corner him—each blow of Kyuze, lethal if taken head-on. And above us—the great altar at the top of the central palace, seventy meters above the ground—quaked with each exchange.
This is taking too long. He's semi-spiritual, constantly drawing on the land's energy. At this rate… I'll be the first to tire. Then—!
From the magic circle beneath our feet, golden chains burst forth, coiling around their target without mercy. Light began to gather—
[Holy Smi—]
But before I could finish the strike, a heavy kick smashed into my ribs from the right.
"Tch… this will take longer than I thought."
"Kyahahaha! Behold—my Archdolls! My Violas! Far stronger than the Demon Dolls scattered through the kingdom—try not to die too quickly, Holy Knight yo!"
What stood before his were human-shaped puppets with two arms and two legs… yet no harmony of face—no eyes, nose, or mouth.
The most dangerous part—!
Tsring~!
Hidden weapons!
From forearms firing volleys of throwing knives, to legs with hidden blades nearly slicing his neck, to the lower jaws detaching and revealing pipes that spewed forth flames, wind, lightning needles, and more…
As he dodged a rain of poisoned spikes from one Archdoll, Kyuze slipped into his blind spot, aiming a killing blow at Reinhard's vitals—
—Only to find his strike caught.
By a man in his thirties, robed in white, clad in fine underclothes (purchased just after his return to the capital).
Who else… but Kraugel.
"Yo Demon! Time to Go Home!" Kraugel
---
He said this while using the skill born from [Unification], something only Hermit could perform.
All my buff skills had been sacrificed to strengthen [Magus Fluctuations], turning it into [Instantaneously Conversion], which, without the need for any flow process, instantly enhanced my entire body and senses.
Kraugel greeted Reinhard quickly, as they were still in the midst of battle. With a glance of his eyes, Reinhard signaled Kraugel to finish off that demon while he would hold off these six Archdolls until Kraugel was done.
— Original POV: Kraugel...
"I suppose this will be your epilogue, Demon-kun."
"Fool, you damn fool! You think you can finish me off when even the strongest in this kingdom couldn't?!"
They exchanged blow after blow, kick after kick. Kraugel never dodged, but it was clear that every one of his strikes was far more dangerous—Kyuze was always trying to avoid them!
Khikk!~
Fush!~ Fush!~ Fush!~
Punch after punch, Kyuze desperately tried to evade, yet even the slightest graze tore not only his physical body but also his spirit, preventing regeneration... until he was truly cornered. Kraugel emitted a dangerous aura, and the dying Kyuze felt fear.
But he remembered how terrifying "that person" would be if he failed, and unconsciously, that fear created a skill within his body.
"Khik! Khyeekkk! Haaa!" —Kyuze
[Report]
[Master, Individual Kyuze—who just ascended to Archdemon rank—has acquired his first and also last Unique Skill.]
Eh? What do you mean, Hermit??
[At this moment, the Unique Skill — Dead Man Tell No Tale, belonging to Individual Kyuze, activated the instant he was on the verge of death.]
So... he just got a crazy buff, huh?
[Correct.]
By the way, you can read my Soul Corridor, right? How's Gumi doing?
[Individual Gumi is perfectly fine. In fact, judging from her emotional algorithm, she is enjoying herself.]
Ahaha, I told her to help the Royal Knights fight that Stampede, and she's having fun... huh. What about Barosque and Towa, Hermit?
[Those two are the ones in trouble.]
Eh? What happened??
[Through Towa and Barosque's shared vision, they accidentally encountered a strong opponent after taking down several Demon Dolls.]
— Short break...
Perhaps you're wondering who
I summoned him when Towa, Gumi, and I went to the Capital, secretly passing through numerous monsters driven into a frenzy by some unknown cause. I entered the Capital, leaving Gumi behind because she wanted to fight the Stampede.
Then, using my Eye of Magician and Move Sensory, I saw many Demon Dolls still remaining. So, I deployed Towa, but to speed up the extermination process, she would need someone with area attacks—thus, I summoned him. An Elder Lich I evolved with an Intermediate Rank Gem in Wonderland, making him my strongest subordinate in Wonderland. I'm certain that he and Towa will overcome any trial they face...