At the same time, in the middle of the night, deep within the northern region of the Ruthwilfer Castle, the main family hall remained illuminated by the soft glow of countless candles and crystal lamps.
The vast chamber was unusually quiet, with only the occasional rustle of papers breaking the silence.
Will Ruthwilfer, the patriarch of the Ruthwilfer House, sat at the head of the long table. Around him were Evan, Avabel, Diana, and several other members of the Ruthwilfer family.
Each of them had been summoned to review the reports delivered by the Royal Hound Guards regarding the performance of their children during the Ruthwilfer Trial.
Several thick files had been placed across the table, each one containing detailed records of the young Ruthwilfer candidates. Their accomplishments, failures, battles, encounters, and progress throughout the trial had all been carefully documented.
Will slowly adjusted the papers in front of him before looking around the table.
"Let's begin with the youngest, Caleb," said Will Ruthwilfer, the patriarch of the Ruthwilfer House.
His voice carried naturally through the hall, causing the members of the family to shift their attention toward the first report.
Ron Ruthwilfer, Caleb's father and Will Ruthwilfer's second cousin, immediately straightened himself in his chair. He cleared his throat before reaching for the report placed before him.
"Ahem..." Ron began, his eyes moving across the written report. "Caleb has successfully become a disciple of a sword master and was able to fend off the brigades of demon raiders at Vanaheim."
A faint expression of satisfaction appeared on Ron's face as he lowered the document slightly.
"He managed to survive the encounter and continued his training afterward."
Will listened quietly, his fingers resting against the surface of the table. He gave a small nod, showing that he had acknowledged the report, before moving his attention toward the next file.
"Up next, Roxxy."
Will reached for another folder and opened it, his eyes scanning through the pages concerning the next candidate. The children being discussed were all between sixteen and seventeen years old, yet each had been placed into situations where their abilities, judgment, and potential could be tested.
Claire Ruthwilfer, Roxxy's mother and Will and Evan's fifth cousin, leaned forward slightly. She wore a confident expression as she prepared to give her daughter's report.
"Roxxy, my daughter, was able to capture the hearts of four princes from different kingdoms with her talented magic skills," Claire began proudly. "This could be good for establishing connections in the near future."
She gently folded her hands together after finishing her statement, clearly pleased with what her daughter had accomplished.
A faint smirk appeared on Evan's face.
"Heh, so your daughter is a whore?" Evan remarked, his tone carrying an obvious hint of mockery.
Claire's expression immediately hardened.
She turned toward Evan with an irritated glare, while several members of the family around the table became visibly uncomfortable.
Evan, however, remained seated casually in his chair, seemingly unconcerned about the reaction his words had caused.
"Watch your tone, Evan!" Claire snapped. "Don't forget that you're still being punished for what you did, planning a fake funeral for the patriarch's first child!"
Evan's expression immediately became more rigid.
Before the exchange could escalate any further, Avabel spoke up from her seat.
"Wedlock child, Claire."
Her correction was delivered calmly, but there was a coldness behind her voice.
Claire glanced toward Avabel, while the atmosphere around the table grew noticeably heavier.
"Don't forget, Dante is not part of the Ruthwilfer," Avabel continued.
She leaned back slightly in her chair, her eyes narrowing as she looked across the table.
"He may have the patriarch, my eldest brother's, blood running through his veins, but he can never be a Ruthwilfer. He will never be the Ruthwilfer he was meant to be."
"I agree."
Everyone's heads turned toward the voice.
Santo Munich Ruthwilfer sat further down the table, his expression calm as he looked toward the others. He was the adopted son of Will Ruthwilfer's father.
Before Will Ruthwilfer succeeded to the throne, Santo had been adopted into the family when Will was ten years old, Evan was eight, and Avabel was six.
The moment Will's eyes landed on Santo, his expression immediately hardened.
"Why are you here..." Will said in a cold tone.
Santo raised an eyebrow before giving a small shrug.
"Oh, come on. I'm family too, you know," said Santo.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Will's fingers slowly tightened against the table. The anger in his eyes became more apparent as he stared directly at Santo.
"The only reason you're still alive after what you did..." Will said in an angry tone, pausing for a moment as he restrained himself, "...is because of my promise to Father."
Santo's expression remained unchanged for a few seconds.
"Right, right. I'm leaving."
He pushed his chair back and stood up without another word. Several members of the Ruthwilfer family watched him silently as he walked toward the exit.
Just before leaving the room, Santo stopped.
He glanced back over his shoulder at the family gathered around the table.
"Hmph. What's the point of calling me over just to spit in my face? Pathetic."
With those words, Santo walked out of the room.
The large doors closed behind him with a heavy sound.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Ron Ruthwilfer finally broke the silence.
"Who invited him?" he asked, looking around the table with a confused expression.
Will exhaled slowly through his nose before returning his attention to the reports in front of him.
"Let's not further this anymore. Up next..."
The meeting continued.
One after another, each family member presented the reports handed to them by the Royal Hound Guards.
Every candidate's performance had been carefully recorded, from their accomplishments during the trial to their failures and overall progress.
As the reports were read aloud, it eventually became clear that only the top fifty candidates had successfully passed the Ruthwilfer Trial.
The rest had failed.
Will slowly went through the remaining documents before stopping at the final two names.
"The last two are Taka and Dante," said Will.
Claire's eyes immediately narrowed with interest.
"Oh ho ho... this could get interesting," said Claire Ruthwilfer.
Evan turned his head toward her, his expression becoming stern.
"What's that supposed to mean, Claire?"
Claire looked toward Evan before calmly placing her hands together on the table.
"The two have been at each other's throats since they were toddlers," she explained. "Although Dante has no malice or motive against Taka, your son seems to constantly try to provoke him."
She paused for a moment, carefully choosing her next words.
"It's almost as if he's trying to show his dominance. Yet Dante doesn't seem to care much."
Evan's expression tightened, but before he could respond, another voice joined the conversation.
"I agree with Claire's point of view."
Everyone turned toward Damien Ruthwilfer, the tenth cousin of the family.
Damien leaned slightly forward in his chair, his expression serious as he continued.
"Although I have seen Dante simply minding his own business, he has never interfered in our business or affairs. Taka, on the other hand, always tries to turn everything into a competition."
Evan's eyes widened.
His chair suddenly scraped loudly against the floor as he got up from his seat in anger, both of his hands pressing against the table.
"ARE YOU SAYING MY SON IS THE PROBLEM!?"
"It's clearly so!" said Damien.
Evan's eyes narrowed as he glared across the table.
"You fools! Have you all forgotten what happened two years ago at the academy?! Dante was possessed by that Alderman Goddess, Kilamahi!" Evan shouted as he turned toward Will.
His hands were clenched tightly at his sides, his anger becoming more difficult to contain.
"I've had enough of this secrecy! I've kept it quiet long enough. What are you hiding, brother?!"
Evan demanded an answer from Will Ruthwilfer.
The room fell silent.
Every member of the family turned toward Will, waiting for his response. Even those who had remained quiet throughout the argument were now watching him closely.
Will lowered his gaze toward the reports scattered across the table. For several moments, he said nothing.
Finally, he let out a long sigh.
"Sigh... Since it has come down to this, fine. I'll tell you."
Will slowly leaned back in his chair.
"Dante's mother, Blake, the dark mage whom I slept with when I was... well, not mature enough, was an Alderman."
The room went completely silent.
The words seemed to hang heavily in the air.
Several members of the Ruthwilfer family stared at Will in disbelief. This was the first time most of them had ever heard such a revelation.
Except for Avabel.
Evan immediately turned toward her.
"Sister! Do you know about this?!"
Avabel remained composed, her expression barely changing.
"Yes. He came to me for help."
She paused before continuing.
"I killed Blake, Dante's biological mother. Though she herself didn't know that she was an Alderman descendant."
Evan's expression darkened.
"So why the hell didn't you kill Dante when he was an infant?!"
Avabel slowly turned her gaze toward Will.
"You're going to tell them, or shall I, eldest?" she asked.
Will closed his eyes for a moment.
Another heavy sigh escaped him.
"I was cursed before Blake died."
The room went silent once again.
Ron Ruthwilfer stared at Will, his expression filled with confusion.
"What kind of curse did she put on you?" asked Ron Ruthwilfer.
Will's expression became grim.
"Blake cast a Chain Death Curse and added the conditions herself."
He paused, allowing everyone to absorb his words.
"If Dante dies, I die."
The entire room remained frozen.
"Until he reaches the age of eighteen, the curse will remain. Once he reaches eighteen, the curse will be lifted."
Evan's eyes widened in disbelief.
He slammed both hands against the table.
"AND YOU ALLOWED HIM TO TAKE THE DAMN TRIAL?!"
"Yes."
Will's answer came without hesitation.
He reached for Dante's report and tossed the thick document across the table. The papers slid across the polished surface before coming to a stop in front of the other Ruthwilfer family members.
"Apparently, he was taking on light quests through adventurers' guilds, made an enemy of the Kingdom of Vidalier, and..."
Will suddenly stopped.
His expression became noticeably more serious.
He reached beside him and picked up another object that had been placed among the reports.
Without saying another word, Will tossed it onto the table.
A flag unfolded across the polished surface.
The moment the symbol became visible, everyone in the room froze.
Avabel's eyes widened.
"J... Járnheimr?" she stuttered.
Ron immediately leaned forward, staring at the flag in disbelief.
"The Kingdom of Dwarfs? The very kingdom that went into hiding after the Hundred Thousand-Year War against the Demon and God Clans?!"
His voice carried genuine astonishment throughout the room.
Claire's confident expression disappeared completely. She stared at the flag before slowly looking toward the Royal Hound Guards standing nearby.
"Is this legit?" she asked.
The leader of the Royal Hound Guards stepped forward.
He bowed slightly before answering.
"Yes, Lady Claire."
He then looked toward Will before continuing.
"We initially believed Dante Ruthwilfer had died."
Several members of the family exchanged uneasy glances.
"After he disappeared, there were no reports from him for an entire year. No sightings, no messages, and no traces that could confirm his whereabouts."
The Hound Leader's expression remained serious.
"However, during our investigation, we sensed a familiar mana signature."
He paused.
"It belonged to Dante."
Everyone remained silent.
"We followed the traces as best as we could, but there was never enough information to determine where he had gone. For that reason, we assumed that he had somehow survived."
The Hound Leader looked around the room.
"Now, after all this time, Dante is standing here among us once again."
The revelation left the Ruthwilfer family staring at one another.
Will's expression remained stern as his gaze settled on Dante's report.
The flag of Járnheimr still lay spread across the table.
No one spoke.
For the first time that night, the family began to realize that Dante's disappearance had not simply been the story of a young man surviving the Ruthwilfer Trial.
Something far greater had happened during the year he was gone.
The second day morning came.
While Kaen was left in charge of the restaurant, Dante went to the immigration port to investigate the incident from the previous day.
As he reached the place, he immediately noticed the samurai man and the archer elf were there as well. The two were standing near the destroyed section of the port, examining the damage left behind by the demon attack.
"Oh? You two are still here," said Dante.
The two individuals turned around.
The samurai man immediately recognized him as Maladeva, while the archer elf simply raised an eyebrow upon seeing him.
"Heh, of course. Why wouldn't we be here?" said the samurai man.
"True, true. So, any clues?" asked Dante.
Both of them shook their heads.
The samurai man gestured toward the destroyed port, while the archer elf looked over the remains with a troubled expression.
"We know it's a demon, but to cause this kind of damage?" said the elf archer.
Dante slowly scanned the area.
Broken wooden structures were scattered across the ground, pieces of the port had been torn apart, and traces of destruction could still be seen throughout the surrounding area. The aftermath looked less like a simple attack and more like something had deliberately tried to make a statement.
Dante crouched down and pressed his fingers against the muddy ground.
"Hmmm..." he muttered.
He rubbed some of the mud between his fingers before looking at the disturbed ground around him.
"I think this demon is trying to provoke us."
The samurai man looked down at him.
"Provoke us in what way, Maladeva?" he asked.
Dante slowly stood up.
"Take a look around you. Why on earth would a single demon come to this port alone, cause this much destruction, and then just trail off into Tianyu?"
He turned his head toward the road leading deeper into the region.
"If my theory is right, I'm guessing it's trying to look for something."
Dante dusted the mud from his hands before clapping them together.
The sound echoed softly through the damaged port.
But just as he was about to continue, something else caught his attention.
His eyes shifted toward the ground.
There, beside the body of a fallen soldier, was a single word written in blood.
KNOWLEDGE.
Dante's expression immediately became more serious.
"This is new," said the elf archer.
She stepped closer and carefully examined the bloody word without touching it.
"Yeah, even I don't know why he wrote that in his last breath," said the samurai man.
Dante crouched down again.
He gently touched the dried blood on the pavement, examining the markings and the direction in which the soldier's hand appeared to have moved.
"Dying message..." he muttered.
The elf archer raised an eyebrow.
"Dying what now?"
Dante looked toward her.
"Dying message. A person writes a hidden code, riddle, numbers, anything to describe the killer."
He paused.
His eyes returned to the word written in blood.
"But knowledge..."
Dante slowly scratched his chin, his expression becoming increasingly thoughtful.
"Hmm..."
The samurai man and the elf archer exchanged glances as they waited for him to figure out what the final message could mean.
Dante stared at the word for several seconds.
"What demon is knowledge..." Dante muttered in thought.
Back at the restaurant, Kaen and several shadow soldiers Dante had left behind to protect the establishment were busy preparing everything for the morning opening. Tables were being cleaned, chairs were being arranged, and the last preparations were underway before the first customers arrived.
Suddenly, a carriage stopped directly in front of the restaurant.
Everyone outside immediately stopped what they were doing.
The civilians quietly stepped back, already knowing whose carriage it was.
The carriage door opened.
A large figure stepped out, followed by several heavily armed thugs.
It was none other than the Pig King, Cai Yok Tan.
"Oink, oink. So this is the one causing all that ruckus?" he said, looking around with curiosity.
His eyes wandered across the restaurant's modern interior. Unlike the traditional establishments commonly found throughout Tianyu, Dante's restaurant had a noticeably different design.
Cai Yok Tan's attention soon shifted toward Kaen.
"Ho, ho. And a cat girl too?"
His eyes moved down toward her mechanical tail.
"But... the tail, though..."
He leaned slightly closer, examining the robotic appendage with fascination.
Kaen calmly looked at him before giving a polite smile.
"Sorry, sir, but we're not open yet. Please take your number and wait for a while," Kaen said politely.
"Wait?"
Cai Yok Tan raised an eyebrow.
His thugs immediately laughed among themselves, their laughter filled with arrogance.
"Heh, I'll let it slide since you're new here," Cai Yok Tan said.
He reached into his clothing and pulled out a heavy sack.
"How about this? I'll pay one thousand gold to let someone like me into the VIP service."
He dropped the sack onto the table.
The weight of the gold coins caused the table to shake slightly.
Kaen's eyes briefly moved toward the sack.
One thousand gold.
For a moment, she thought about what the money could mean for her master Dante and his challenge against Ryu Shion Meilin.
But Kaen quickly pushed the thought aside.
She calmly picked up the sack and slid it back toward Cai Yok Tan.
"Sorry, sir. We don't do VIP service. We treat everyone equally, no matter who you are."
Cai Yok Tan stared at the returned gold.
His expression slowly changed.
The smile disappeared from his face.
He pushed himself up from his seat and walked toward Kaen, his footsteps becoming heavier with every step.
"I'm being kind because you've got a beautiful fucking face."
Kaen remained completely still.
Cai Yok Tan stopped directly in front of her.
"And seeing that you have a slave tattoo ink mark, you're not the owner here, are you?"
"Nope," said Kaen.
She tilted her head slightly.
"Master is currently out on an errand and..."
Before Kaen could finish speaking, Cai Yok Tan suddenly raised his hand.
His palm swung toward her face.
But it never reached her.
Kaen caught his wrist in midair.
The force behind the attack made her hair sway slightly, but she didn't even flinch.
"Valued customer, please refrain from violence..."
Kaen's expression remained calm.
Then her eyes narrowed.
"...or I will do it my fucking self, faggot."
She tightened her grip around Cai Yok Tan's wrist.
"I'm being patient enough because of Master's order, nya."
Her feline ears twitched slightly.
"And you have the audacity to hit a woman?"
Kaen's expression hardened.
"That proves you're trash."
Cai Yok Tan's face turned red with anger.
"OINK!!! What are you fools looking at?! Get this bitch, damn it!"
His thugs immediately drew their weapons.
Steel flashed as they prepared to attack.
Kaen slowly released Cai Yok Tan's wrist and took a step backward.
"Nyaaa..."
She sighed, rolling her shoulders.
"I expected this, but..."
Her feline ears lowered.
Her eyes sharpened.
Kaen lowered her body and shifted her feet into a feline fighting stance.
The atmosphere inside the restaurant suddenly changed.
A powerful yellow voltage began surging throughout her body.
Electricity crackled around her arms and legs, illuminating the room with brief flashes of yellow light.
The shadow soldiers remained still.
They didn't need to interfere.
Kaen's combat abilities had changed drastically over the past year.
Her agility and stamina had improved tremendously during her time in Járnheimr and throughout her journey with Dante.
The thugs charged.
Kaen disappeared from her position.
In the blink of an eye, she struck first.
"Hah... hah... hah... MISTRESS!"
A female soldier came running up to the highest floor of the building where Ryu Shion Meilin resided. She burst through the doors to her chambers in a state of urgency, barely catching her breath.
Ryu Shion Meilin sat calmly at her makeup stand, using a small brush to carefully apply black paint to her lips. She didn't even turn around at first.
"What is it?" she asked.
"The Pig King! He's causing a fuss at Maladeva's restaurant!" said the female soldier.
Meilin's hand stopped.
The brush remained against her lips for a moment before she slowly lowered it.
She stood from her seat and walked toward the balcony.
As she looked down from above, her violet eyes immediately caught sight of the commotion taking place outside Dante's restaurant.
Kaen and the shadow soldiers were fighting against Cai Yok Tan's thugs.
"Necromancy?"
A small smile appeared on Meilin's lips.
"This Maladeva is surprisingly getting my interest more and more."
The female soldier stepped closer.
"Shall we...?"
Meilin looked toward her.
"Yes, we should."
She turned her attention back toward the scene below.
"Cai Yok Tan is on my turf, and if there is a dispute, the chessboard game says all."
Minutes later, Kaen and the shadow soldiers had easily taken down the thugs, leaving Cai Yok Tan as the only one remaining.
Kaen stood among the defeated men, brushing some dust from her clothing.
"Nya, so easy."
She turned toward the Pig King.
"Now it's time for him."
Kaen stepped forward, ready to deal with the remaining opponent, still unaware of exactly who Cai Yok Tan was.
"Oink, oink! You really think you can take me on?"
Kaen stopped.
"Nya?"
Something suddenly struck her from behind.
A dagger pierced into her back.
Kaen's eyes widened as a trained assassin appeared behind her, the blade coated with poison.
She staggered forward and grabbed the wound.
"Puha!"
Blood escaped from her mouth.
"Stabbing from the back? Coward."
Kaen turned her head slightly toward the assassin.
"But from an assassin? Even worse."
She spat out blood onto the ground.
The shadow soldiers immediately reacted.
They rushed toward the assassin, but another assassin suddenly appeared and struck them down with terrifying speed.
"Hmph. Can't believe they were just lower-tier undead."
Standing beside the assassin was a mage who controlled necromancy magic.
The mage raised his hand slightly, manipulating the fallen shadow soldiers as if confirming their nature.
Cai Yok Tan grinned.
He slowly walked toward the kneeling Kaen.
"You should've taken the gold when you had the chance."
He stopped directly in front of her.
"But since you're a slave, I'll do you one kind offer."
Cai Yok Tan extended his hand toward her.
"Be my slut, and I promise you prosperity like no other."
Kaen stared at the hand.
Then she spat directly onto it.
She chuckled despite the pain.
"Wow. Not only that, you're a pedophile?"
Her feline ears twitched.
"Asshole. I'm seventeen."
Cai Yok Tan stared at her for a moment.
"...Even better."
A sickening grin spread across his face.
He reached toward Kaen.
But before he could touch her, a set of footsteps echoed through the restaurant.
Kaen's ears immediately twitched.
She recognized those footsteps.
A faint smile appeared on her face despite the pain.
"Took you long enough, Master..."
Cai Yok Tan, the two assassins, and the remaining thugs all turned their heads toward the direction Kaen was looking.
A figure stood at the entrance.
Dante had returned after investigating the immigration port.
He calmly looked over the scene.
Then he whistled.
"Whistles~ Who's the faggot, Kaen?"
Kaen looked toward him.
"Some assholes think he can use wealth to get what he wants, nya."
Cai Yok Tan turned toward Dante and walked directly up to him until the two stood face to face.
"So you're the owner. What's ya name?"
Dante looked up at the much larger Pig King.
His expression remained completely calm.
"...Tony."
Cai Yok Tan blinked.
"Tony?"
"Then what? Shall I say, 'Fuck you, Tony?'"
Dante shrugged.
"Name's Maladeva. Moved here yesterday."
He looked directly into Cai Yok Tan's eyes.
"And you're a faggot, right? I'm calling you faggot."
"Oink! Faggot?! You got arrogance, I'll give you that. I'm Cai Yok—"
"Kugf!"
Before Cai Yok Tan could finish his words, Dante's fist slammed directly into his chin.
The devastating uppercut lifted the Pig King off his feet and sent him flying backward.
Cai Yok Tan crashed through several pieces of furniture inside Dante's restaurant before finally coming to a stop.
Dante lowered his fist.
"Good. Makes my job easy."
He launched himself forward.
In an instant, Dante landed directly on the Pig King's chest.
The two assassins immediately launched themselves from opposite sides, attempting to attack Dante from both directions.
But before either blade could reach him, two weapons suddenly pierced through their chests.
Both assassins froze.
Dante glanced toward them.
"Great work, Lustia."
A figure emerged from behind the assassins.
Lustia calmly withdrew her blades from their bodies before giving Dante a respectful bow.
"It's my honour, my liege."
Dante raised his hand.
Crimson energy gathered around his arm.
With a violent metallic sound, his Vermillion Chain Blade materialized in his grasp.
The chained crimson weapon dragged against the floor as Dante slowly approached the Pig King.
Cai Yok Tan struggled beneath him, his earlier arrogance now replaced with fear and confusion.
Dante raised the blade.
His crimson eyes stared down at the Pig King.
"Any last words, Cai Yok fucking Tan?"
"Kill him! Somebody fucking kill him!!!"
Cai Yok Tan's remaining thugs charged toward Dante in desperation, weapons drawn as they rushed to protect their master.
Dante simply rolled his eyes.
His expression showed nothing but annoyance and unimpressed disbelief.
"Seriously?"
He raised one hand.
Dark shadows immediately began gathering across the floor.
From within the darkness emerged two figures.
The first was Durator, the Bear King of the Beastmen.
His enormous frame towered over the room, his powerful body covered in thick fur and scars from countless battles.
Beside him appeared Daine, the former Orc Queen, who had once been abandoned by her lover before ultimately being killed by him.
Both Shadow Knights emerged from Dante's darkness and stood silently before him.
Dante pointed toward the remaining thugs.
"You two, go and kill them."
The two Shadow Knights immediately obeyed.
The thugs charged.
One managed to stab Durator directly through the chest.
But the blade passed through nothing but shadow.
The thug's expression changed.
"What?!"
Durator's body briefly dispersed into dark mist around the blade before reforming.
The same happened when another thug attempted to stab Daine.
The weapons simply passed through their undead bodies.
They were not flesh anymore.
They were shadows.
Durator grabbed one of the attackers by the weapon arm and slammed him into the floor.
Daine moved with equal brutality, striking another thug across the room before finishing him with a powerful blow.
Within moments, the remaining thugs were completely overwhelmed.
The two Shadow Knights returned to Dante's side.
Dante casually raised his Vermillion Chain Blade.
He looked down at Cai Yok Tan, who was now trembling beneath him.
"Welp, thank you and goodbye," said Dante with a smile.
He raised the blade above his head.
"W-Wait!"
Cai Yok Tan's eyes widened.
"Wait! Wait! Wait!"
Dante brought the blade downward.
But before it could reach Cai Yok Tan's neck...
"MALADEVA!"
Dante halted the blade.
The Vermillion Chain Blade stopped only inches from the Pig King's neck.
Dante slowly turned his head.
Standing at the entrance was Ryu Shion Meilin.
She had finally arrived.
Her female soldiers stood behind her as the rain began falling outside.
Meilin's eyes immediately locked onto Dante.
"Let him go."
Dante remained silent.
"If he dies, a war will happen between the other three Lords of the Underworld."
Her voice became firm.
"DO IT NOW!"
Dante stared at her for a moment.
He had heard her warning.
He simply didn't care.
Without changing his expression, Dante swung his blade.
STAB!
"MALADEVA!!!!!"
Cai Yok Tan screamed.
But instead of piercing his neck, the blade sliced through the side of his head.
"OINK!!! MY EAR! MY EAR!!!"
Dante had cut off Cai Yok Tan's right ear.
Blood ran down the side of the Pig King's face as he screamed and desperately covered the wound.
Dante grabbed Cai Yok Tan by the large golden chain necklace around his neck and pulled him closer.
His crimson eyes stared directly into the Pig King's terrified eyes.
"Get out."
Dante's grip tightened.
"Or I won't miss again."
Cai Yok Tan's body trembled.
He quickly scrambled to his feet and stumbled backward.
"Move! Move!"
His remaining thugs immediately followed him.
The Pig King and his men hurried out of the restaurant and fled into the streets.
The civilians surrounding the area stood completely speechless.
Some stared in astonishment.
Others were visibly amused.
For the first time, many of them had witnessed something they never thought they would see.
The Pig King, Cai Yok Tan, was running away in fear.
His large tail wagged frantically behind him as he fled down the street.
Then the sky finally opened.
Heavy rain began pouring over the Brothel and Restaurant District.
The sound of rainfall drowned out the remaining noise of the battle as water washed across the damaged streets.
Dante stood silently in the ruined restaurant, his Vermillion Chain Blade still in his hand.
Nearby, Kaen remained injured from the poisoned dagger.
Ryu Shion Meilin stood across from Dante, watching him carefully.
The restaurant was partially destroyed.
The Pig King had fled.
And the conflict between the Lords of the Underworld had only just begun.
The rain continued to pour.
---
Chapter 65 — End.