Demon King's Hall.
The shattered windows had been replaced, the broken floor tiles and porcelain had mysteriously disappeared, and the great hall—symbol of the Demon King's Castle—had regained its original eerie majesty.
"Sylvia, what happened to your body?"
Serena entered the hall, looking at another executive with astonishment.
The beauty in the red dress had inexplicably shrunk considerably in the chest area, becoming as flat as the former Demon King's daughter, unable to fill out her dress at all.
"Don't even ask. The night before last, Airi Yasaka stopped me and tore my chest off!"
Sylvia looked thoroughly disgruntled.
That night, she had just found the Demon King's bedroom intending to merge with Eiji when Airi suddenly showed up. Without a word, the two had immediately started brawling.
As a result, she had punched Airi several times, giving her panda eyes, but she had paid the heavy price of having her entire chest torn off!
Her screams had been earth-shattering, startling the entire Demon King's Castle.
"You really... have the worst luck."
Serena's face was full of pity.
"What a shame!"
Beldia had somehow appeared in the hall and, upon seeing Sylvia's flat chest, let out a heavy sigh.
Though she was a chimera, she had certainly been pleasing to the eye.
"Careful, or I'll punch you too, Beldia!"
A vein throbbed on Sylvia's forehead.
"Um... has His Majesty the Demon Lord arrived yet?"
Just as they were talking, a timid voice came from outside the door.
They all turned to look and saw a young demon girl with a single horn on her forehead enter the room. The enormous "assets" wrapped in her maid outfit made Beldia and Sylvia stare in awe.
"Hey, you! How about giving me that chest of yours?"
Without hesitation, Sylvia rushed forward, her eyes gleaming green as she stared at the seemingly meek oni maid.
"Don't worry, I'll pay you a price you'll be satisfied with! How about it? Think about it! I can give you two horns, or teach you powerful magic, so... no matter what, you have to give me that chest of yours, ahhh!"
"Th-this... Lady Sylvia, since you put it that way—"
Sylvia's intensity was overwhelming, and the timid demon maid was predictably frightened, nodding shakily.
And then—
"Ahahahaha! A splendid reveal! It was actually me all along! Were you surprised? Oooh, such delicious negative emotions—thank you for the feast!"
The buxom maid quickly withered away, turning into dry earth and vanishing, revealing a suited man in a mask who burst into maniacal laughter.
Vanir's specially crafted body had the ability to transform into various shapes, and he took great pleasure in using it to tease the demons of the Demon King's Castle every day.
Maybe I should just kill this guy!
For a moment, Sylvia seriously considered it.
"Quite lively this early in the morning?"
Just then, a familiar voice reached their ears.
"All hail Your Majesty!"
Sylvia, Serena, and Beldia immediately knelt before the newcomer, greeting him with reverence.
"No need for formalities."
Eiji stepped past several people and took his seat on the highest throne of the Demon King.
Airi and the former Demon King stood in the great hall, taking their positions alongside the other officers.
"Vanir, didn't you resign?"
As soon as he sat down, Eiji's gaze immediately fell upon Barnier.
"Hahaha! Indeed, I did resign, and I originally intended to leave immediately. But the unfolding events seemed far too interesting, so I decided to stay!"
Barnier looked at Eiji with great amusement.
"Am I not welcome, Demon King?"
Unlike the shameless and dull former Demon King, this new Demon King was far more intriguing than he had imagined. As someone who thrived on entertainment, how could he simply walk away?
"Does this mean you owe me a favor?"
"Hmm, demanding a favor from a Demon Archduke—how calculating! Very well, consider it a favor owed!"
"Do as you please, just don't direct your twisted tastes my way."
Eiji waved his hand dismissively and paid him no further mind.
Suddenly, he froze.
"Sylvia, what happened to your... chest?"
"Your Majesty, it's like this..."
Sylvia repeated her earlier explanation while glaring fiercely at Airi.
"I see. Then let's move on to official business."
Huh?
Huh??
Sylvia was suddenly covered in question marks.
What was going on?
The Demon King was far more indifferent than she had expected!
Hadn't they agreed to merge last time? Hadn't he praised her figure? How could he become so cold after just two days apart?
Sylvia looked utterly baffled.
Noticing this, a thoughtful glint flashed in Airi's eyes.
There was no doubt this guy was a pervert at heart.
Yet he was so indifferent to Sylvia after she lost her chest, showing no reaction even when she proactively wore seductive stockings. But he had been very interested in Sylvia when she still had her chest, even summoning a succubus with enormous breasts to sleep with him at night...
Airi felt she had finally grasped this new Demon King's preferences.
But what filled her with despair was that her own figure was the complete opposite of this bastard's tastes!
"Has everyone heard the diviner's prophecy?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
"In that case, what are your thoughts?"
Eiji earnestly sought the opinions of the officers below.
"Is the diviner's prophecy really that accurate?"
As a newcomer, he wasn't fully familiar with many aspects of this world and couldn't afford to cling stubbornly to his own views.
"Your Majesty, the future foretold by the diviner has a high likelihood of becoming reality."
Serena stepped forward. As someone who had already pledged her loyalty, begun spreading the faith of her goddess within the city, and served as both a Strategist for the Demon King Army and an officer, it was her duty to demonstrate her allegiance here.
She smiled faintly, the beauty mark at the corner of her eye lifting slightly, adding a touch of allure to her expression.
"However, the future is not set in stone. Once we understand the key points, we can alter the bleak future. That is the purpose of diviners."
I see.
So, if things proceeded according to the original world's trajectory, the protagonist would likely destroy the Demon King Army in the end.
But with his interference as an outsider, things were bound to change.
"How do you suggest we handle this so-called 'light from the heavens'?"
Eiji sought her advice.
"First, we should send someone to investigate."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Serena began to speak eloquently.
"What we need to clarify most urgently is the nature of that beam of light—whether it's a divine artifact, a reincarnated individual, or some special entity. Without understanding the true identity of the light, we can't take any action based on the divination!"
Indeed.
"Who among you is willing to go to Axel to investigate?"
Eiji cast an inquiring glance at the group.