The Emperor of the Empire has made an appearance!
However, Valetta still didn’t mind much.
From the start, she had no fear of the Emperor. It was just that the trouble of obtaining Ezekiel was what truly disturbed her peace.
“I shouldn’t have pampered him too much….”
Valetta muttered softly.
At this moment, the woman’s bright eyes were filled only with overwhelming desire to possess Ezekiel.
“Retrieving the Ice Ghost is a must.”
The Demon Lord had relaxed the position he had been resting his chin on. His golden eyes, rising like a full moon from the pitch-black irises, were tracking Ezekiel’s movements.
Even though the Emperor had made an appearance, there was not a hint of surprise regarding his existence.
The God of Hatred spoke directly.
“To say we must retrieve him….”
“It means we must not cut off his breath. He will be a pillar of the Demon Realm. He must be kept alive.”
The God of Hatred gnawed on his lips.
In the Demon Realm, nothing was more absolute than the Demon Lord’s orders, but at this moment, it was hard for him to agree.
“A pillar of the Demon Realm? No, he is the seed of the Demon Realm’s destruction.”
Having lured the reliable force of the Demon Realm, Goddess Arcne, to liberate human slaves, possessing three types of energy, and now summoning even the Emperor of the Continent… Can this truly be called a pillar of the Demon Realm?
It was something that at least the God of Hatred couldn’t understand. He immediately sent a telepathic message to the other demons.
—Even if I must feign error, I must cut off the Ice Ghost’s breath. I, the God of Hatred, shall bear the responsibility.
The other demons nodded in agreement.
They were already thinking the same way, but the Demon Lord was too afraid to act. Now that someone had taken the lead, there was no need to hesitate.
—Reaper, it would be good for you to strike in one blow.
—No, I follow only the Demon Lord’s orders.
The Reaper’s resolute reply came back.
The God of Hatred spat out in frustration and glared at the Reaper, who leaned on his long scythe. That guy was supposed to be the strongest of the demons, but he was of no help at all.
At this rate, the God of Hatred would have to take action himself, which was just fine. Didn’t the Ice Ghost suddenly pounce on the God of Hatred last time during the test?
Now, he could make her pay for that sin.
The God of Hatred donned a white robe and raised his mana. Sharp energy waves, like thorns, began to bloom all around.
Kugugugu!
He completely crushed the area around the Ice Ghost.
Using heavy energy to weigh down the opponent and then using martial arts techniques to turn them into a bloody mess was one of the God of Hatred’s frequently used tricks.
She must be feeling like gravity had suddenly increased tenfold. There was no way she would survive today.
But.
“…!”
Surprise flickered across the God of Hatred’s face.
It couldn’t be helped. Despite being crushed by his energy, there was not a single hint of distress on her face.
…On the contrary, she was just calmly conversing with the Emperor.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The Emperor was indeed the Emperor.
He had a relaxed demeanor as if no crisis ever arose, and thanks to that, Ezekiel could also feel a sense of stability by his side.
A hollow-eyed lion-headed helmet faced Ezekiel, and in a low voice, it asked,
“Should I ask why this is happening, or should I question your crimes first? It seems you’ve summoned me in quite an interesting manner.”
Ezekiel lightly bowed and replied.
“Defeated Han-shin, rescued humans in the Demon Realm, gathered crucial information, and even reformed Goddess of Hatred….”
Just listing what came to mind was already this much.
“I report that I have achieved many merits.”
Although he had destroyed Han-shin’s city, escaping from the Demon Realm was a problem. However, with the Emperor’s assistance, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
Receiving a cooperative attack from the Demon Lord and all the demon gods.
Convincing the Emperor’s heart.
…Ezekiel thought that naturally, the latter would be easier.
“Originally, isn’t a mission a concept that includes a safe return? Seeing you treat me as a shield makes me wonder if I should intervene. Perhaps I should just leave you to meet your demise here.”
The Emperor spoke, as if impressed. It was only natural. He had never experienced such treatment before.
However, Ezekiel had already made his decision.
“I am not simply asking for rescue. I have summoned you just to propose a deal, as always.”
“A deal? In this place, and in this situation?”
“Yes. I can now harmoniously wield the three types of energy. If I can safely return to the continent, I shall utilize this power for the Empire.”
Thump— thump—
Even now, Ezekiel’s heart was beating energetically. Together with three rings of different colors.
The Emperor immediately examined Ezekiel’s condition.
Placing his hand over Ezekiel’s heart, unlike with Arcne, he could discern merely by looking. He suddenly felt as if his soul were being pierced.
At last, the Emperor reacted.
“…Heat, mana, chill. Incredible, such a constitution exists in the world? Your prayers have improved greatly. You even harmonized with the elementals.”
The Emperor’s admiration itself was a positive sign, but Ezekiel focused on the word “another.”
Could it be that his constitution was like the Emperor’s? Could it develop as boundlessly as his?
At that very moment.
“Impudence—!”
A thunderous shout struck his ears.
“How dare you share idle chatter in the presence of the Demon Lord? Your crimes are far from over. I shall bestow upon you endless pain right here!”
It was the God of Hatred.
Perhaps it was due to being a demon god that thrived on hatred and anger; his fury was enormous.
He charged like a cannonball and threw a punch.
Kwaang—!
The space around the Emperor rippled like a mirage as he deflected the mana-laden punch.
Naturally, shock spread across the God of Hatred’s face.
“Ezekiel.”
In the midst of this chaos, the Emperor suddenly called Ezekiel’s name, as if there was something important to convey.
“Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor.”
“Now that I see, your constitution is a unique one in the world. Perhaps I can expect a remarkable future.”
It wasn’t a scolding tone nor a nagging one. His tone was simply mysterious.
“…It may be quite a lonely path ahead.”
As he sensed a hint of regret in that voice.
Kugugugu!
Suddenly, for a moment, intangible energy began to whirl around them. The degree was so severe that the entire space appeared to distort.
The faces of the demon gods, who had been in an attack stance, reflected confusion. Even they, with their already powerful statuses, were astonished by this force.
The Emperor was indeed such a being.
Paaaan—!
With a tremendous sound, all the mana dispersed in an instant. The air cleared instantly, creating a sight reminiscent of purification.
“…He raised his power? Emperor, is this for real?!”
Valetta yelled.
The strongest persons had an implicit agreement to refrain from intervening, and this moment was a blatant violation of that.
Kwaaak—!
The Emperor’s energy had no color, but because it pushed away the mana, it could not be discerned how it spread.
“…”
It expanded out like branches from a tree. Thus, it spread widely while simultaneously emitting an incredibly sharp energy.
Ezekiel had previously been overwhelmed by all the mana, but now the situation was different. The Emperor’s energy was pressing down on all the demon gods.
Whoosh—!
The energy finally coalesced into one presence.
It had a human form, yet the presence was far from that of a mere human. The movements of the demon gods momentarily froze.
The stronger one became, the less they would feel fear in the presence of others, and this was the first time in a long while they sensed such a thing. What was in front of them was a transcendent being.
Crack—
The Emperor quietly clenched and opened his fist. The cloak attached to his shoulder soared upward due to the energy.
“Is that….”
The God of Hatred murmured softly.
During his time as a demon god, he had been warned by the Demon Lord several times. After living for so long, there would surely be something to be cautious of.
It was said to beware the figure clad in lion armor.
“…The intangible golden lion, the Emperor.”
Now he understood. That was the Emperor of the continent.
The other demon gods fell into complete silence.
There were times when one could feel the overwhelming difference in power simply by virtue of their existence, and this was one of those times. It was as if thunder had struck overhead, and instinct whispered warnings of danger.
Valetta frowned and ordered.
“…Demon gods, be cautious; the opponent is dangerous.”
Meanwhile, the Emperor quietly spoke, turning his back to Ezekiel.
“You just detailed your achievements. Quite impressive.”
Hooosh—.
He slowly assumed a stance, seeming ready to unleash a decisive strike.
“Now, watch my movements carefully and learn.”
His energy, indeed worthy of being called the strongest.
“I shall grant you something more precious than the Sun Elixir.”
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