Chino arrived at the ancient royal court, his gaze falling upon the stone throne above. Years of erosion had left mottled traces upon it.
"Little lunatic, go sit on it," Chino said.
"OK, little Chichi!" Harley replied enthusiastically.
Thud.
Without a second thought, Harley tossed Diana to the ground and strutted forward with exaggerated yet elegant steps. She plopped herself onto the throne.
"Roar!"
A bestial growl erupted from Harley's mouth.
In that instant, hellfire surged from the inverted pentagram on her chest, blasting straight into the sky like a massive pillar of flame.
The scorching fire ignited the heavens, and the surrounding air itself seemed to catch fire as waves of heat rolled outward.
The people of Kahndaq, who had followed them, backed away in terror, their faces filled with fear and panic.
Chino raised his bio-force field to block the heat. A faint glow shimmered from the barrier as it separated them from the inferno.
"The Gate of Hell… You're trying to destroy the world!" Diana shouted, looking up at the burning sky.
"I'm not that bored," Chino replied casually.
The flames on Harley's body gradually subsided as she slowly opened her eyes.
"Come forth—my legion of the damned!"
The ground around them burst into flame. From within the blaze, a horde of gaunt undead figures emerged, holding broken weapons, standing crooked and unstable.
"Ew, they're so ugly. Way worse than little Chichi's creations," Harley commented, her face full of disappointment and disdain as she frowned.
Venom walked up to one of the undead, gave it a gentle push—and it collapsed instantly, bones clattering loudly.
"Terrible combat ability," Venom said, curling his lip.
Pamela picked up a bone from the ground and gave it a hard tap—it snapped cleanly in half.
"They're basically useless. Even ordinary people with cold weapons could handle them. With hot weapons, a hundred soldiers could wipe out your entire 'legion,'" Pamela said, shaking her head in judgment.
Even Diana relaxed, her tightly furrowed brows easing. She was puzzled though—what was the point of all this?
The Gate of Hell opened and then closed just like that—what exactly were they trying to do?
"F*! Those bastards gave me a bunch of trash! I'm going to find them and return it!"** Harley's face darkened with fury. She cursed loudly and was just about to kill herself again to go settle the score with the six wizards.
"Alright, little lunatic. If you're done playing, close the Gate of Hell. It's not their fault. Their master probably only gave them that worthless junk," Chino interjected, stopping her.
"…Fine." Harley pouted in disappointment and shut the Gate of Hell.
As the gate closed, the heavenly phenomenon vanished instantly, and everything returned to calm.
Diana became even more confused about their purpose. Opening and closing the gate like that—what was the point?
"Alright, time to leave," Chino announced.
He wrapped his arms around Venom and Pamela. A surge of power lifted from beneath his feet, ready to take off.
He planned to ask Tony to design him a ride—speed didn't matter, as long as it looked cool.
"Leader, aren't you going to rule here?" Hulu asked quickly.
"I'm not interested. Why would I rule this place? It holds no value to me," Chino replied coldly, his eyes showing no emotion.
"But… but…" Hulu stammered.
"You want to say—'but you have the power, so why not help this country,' right?"
Chino slowly walked toward Hulu.
"Yes, Leader."
"Then why don't you ask them first—do they even want my rule? This country has been ruled by the International Gang. Even if I free them, do you think they'll really be grateful?
They won't be grateful—they'll fear me. They'll worry I'm just another version of the International Gang. Even if I don't care about that, why should I do something that's all pain and no gain?"
Chino's voice boomed, echoing like a great bell through the air. Even the people of Kahndaq nearby heard him clearly.
For a moment, the crowd fell into dead silence.
Hulu looked toward the people. They instinctively avoided his gaze, not daring to meet his eyes.
His heart sank. He realized that the leader was right—again.
"Hulu, you need to understand: everything in this world comes with a price. If you want something, then you must pay for it."
"Your father gave up his freedom and power so I would resurrect his wife and child. And now you want me to save Kahndaq—what can you offer in exchange?"
Chino asked calmly, his eyes steady.
Diana stared at him in shock.
"You're… the demon king he mentioned before, aren't you?"
Only the Demon King of Hell could wield the power of resurrection.
But then… how could he roam Earth freely? Suspicion and caution filled Diana's mind.
Hulu's small head was full of tangled thoughts.
Give something in exchange?
What did he have?
He had nothing.
Shazam had already chosen his father.
Shazam?
Hulu raised his head and looked at the lightning bolt on his father's chest. Determination flashed in his eyes.
"Leader, I can give you the power of Shazam," he said.
Chino smiled. "The one your father has won't work."
"I know. But you once said that the wizard still holds another power of Shazam. I am a Holy Spirit—if I was chosen once, I can be chosen again.
Leader, do you agree?"
Hulu smiled innocently.
Truth be told, he did hold resentment toward the wizard who had sealed his father for five thousand years.
"Deal."
Chino also smiled, admiration and anticipation in his eyes.
In that moment, the big and small smiles on their faces looked eerily similar.
"No! You already have one set of the gods' power—if you get another—mmmph!"
Before Diana could finish her sentence, Harley grabbed her and began spinning her rapidly in the air.
"Who asked you to talk, you stupid little toy?" Harley snapped viciously.
"You… bas… tard… I… will… stop… you…" Diana gritted out the words as she spun, dizzy and disoriented, but still unwilling to give up.
This time, things might not have escalated.
But once two Shazam powers fall into the hands of a Demon King… who knows what will happen?
There had to be some kind of scheme.
The truth was, Chino had no grand scheme—he just had a biological instinct to hoard power.
You might not use something, but you should definitely have it, just in case.
After signing the contract with Hulu, Chino turned to the people of Kahndaq and spoke in a voice filled with authority:
"Return to your homes. From now on, I will rule here."
The people looked confused and hesitant. Their hearts asked: Weren't you here to save us? Aren't you just another ruler?
"I said—GET LOST!"
Chino's expression darkened as he released a trace of hellish aura.
To the people of Kahndaq, he suddenly became a figure shrouded in black mist, with strange red lights flickering in his eyes.
"Yes, sir!"
"Everyone run!"
"Demon King!!"
In an instant, the crowd scattered in terror, leaving behind only empty streets and swirling dust.
"Leader, why use such a method?" Hulu asked in confusion.
"This way is the fastest. No matter how sweet my words, they wouldn't easily trust me. But in the future—when this city changes—they'll understand everything."
"This too is a way of improving efficiency. Reputation doesn't matter. Method doesn't matter. As long as I get my results—that's what matters most."
Chino spoke slowly.
"I understand, Leader," Hulu replied, looking at Chino with a gaze full of awe and admiration.
Leader knows so much.
Quote of the Chapter
"Power without purpose is waste—but purpose without power is helpless."
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