The following day, after the events at the Empyrean Ascendant Pavilion last night, word of the two billion individual spread throughout Tianyu.
It was not merely the absurd amount of money that caught everyone's attention. Maladeva had successfully bid for the Tooth of Calamithus, obtained a blood diamond through stone gambling, and even acquired a slave who was once the Queen of Al Rayan.
The mysterious bidder had quickly become the subject of countless conversations throughout Tianyu. Merchants, nobles, gamblers, criminals, and even those who ruled the underworld were discussing the same man. Yet despite the sudden attention surrounding him,
Maladeva's identity had been kept anonymous at his own request to the Pavilion.
By the afternoon, Dante headed in the opposite direction from his restaurant, making his way toward the much larger restaurant and brothel that belonged to Ryu Shion Meilin.
The towering establishment stood prominently within the Red Light District, its presence impossible to overlook.
Unlike the quieter atmosphere around Dante's restaurant, Meilin's territory was constantly filled with movement, music, merchants, customers, and guards.
Dante entered the tower and made his way toward Meilin's private room. He pushed the door open without expecting anything unusual, only to immediately freeze.
Meilin was changing.
"Ah, fuck. Sorry, I'll be out."
Dante immediately turned around and reached for the door, his movements quick and awkward as he tried to leave without looking back.
"Don't be. I don't mind."
Meilin's voice stopped him.
"I've taken my clothes off for many men like you. Except you've not yet popped that cherry."
She teased him with a playful laugh.
"Hey!"
Dante glanced back with an annoyed expression, his brows tightening as Meilin's amusement grew.
"Puhahaha! I'm joking."
Meilin finished adjusting her clothes before casually turning toward him. Her expression carried the same mischievous amusement she had displayed countless times before.
"I assumed you came because of the challenge we had three days ago."
She walked over to her bed and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. Her posture was deliberately relaxed, yet the playful glint in her eyes made it obvious that she was still enjoying Dante's reaction.
"Like what you see, boy?"
She teased him again, slowly pulling the black stocking higher along her thigh.
Dante stared for a moment before immediately looking away.
She's lucky I have the mind of a twenty-six-year-old because I regressed into this world as Dante.
He sighed internally, refusing to give Meilin the satisfaction of another reaction.
Meilin chuckled when she noticed his expression.
"Now then, as promised."
She reached beside her and picked up a scroll before casually tossing it toward him.
Dante's hand shot forward.
He caught the scroll in mid-air without difficulty, the movement smooth enough that Meilin raised an eyebrow in amusement. Dante lowered his arm and examined the scroll in his hand before looking back at her.
"The remaining two names of the Raven and the Wolf King," Meilin said. "Including the rest of us, consider that a token for what you did last night and at the auction."
Dante's expression became more serious.
He slowly opened the scroll and looked at the names written inside.
His eyes moved down the list, revealing the five underworld lords who controlled the Red Light District.
Ryu Shion Meilin, Brothel and Restaurant District.
Cai Yok Tan, Casino District.
Gui Myeong Kage, Black Market and Merchant District.
Guo Duolong, Assassination and Weaponry.
Xuan Mei Fang, Aerial Support and Security.
Dante closed the scroll with a satisfied look on his face.
"Well, since there is nothing left, I should take my leave."
He turned toward the door, taking a few steps forward before Meilin's voice stopped him.
"I have a request I would like to make, Alderman..."
Dante halted.
He slowly turned his head toward her, his expression becoming confused.
"Come again? Alderman? Did you knock your head or something?"
He tried to shrug it off, assuming Meilin had simply made another strange joke.
Little did he know, Ryu Shion Meilin had already cornered him.
A sudden wave of dizziness struck Dante.
His vision blurred for a moment as his body instinctively tensed.
"What did you..."
"KID!"
Kilamahi's voice suddenly thundered inside his consciousness.
But it was far too late.
Meilin rose from her seat and took a step forward. Her expression had completely changed. The playful teasing from moments ago was gone, replaced by something far more serious.
"I'm sorry, kid. But I need your help, even if it means..."
She paused.
"...being your enemy."
Meilin suddenly lunged forward.
Her hand reached toward Dante's head, intending to seize him and drag him toward her bedchamber.
But the moment her fingers were about to make contact, everything around her changed.
The entire room went black.
"Huh?"
Meilin froze.
"What is this...?"
Her body stood completely motionless.
The playful confidence disappeared from her face as her skin gradually turned pale. A cold sensation crawled up her spine, followed by a sudden, overwhelming instinct screaming at her to run.
Or kill herself before whatever stood before her could do it first.
Meilin slowly raised her head.
Her eyes widened.
Standing before her was Kilamahi.
The War Goddess had manifested in the appearance of her prime, the terrifying form she possessed at the height of her power. Her presence alone seemed to distort the space around her, and the pressure radiating from her body was enough to make the entire room feel as though it had been buried beneath an endless mountain.
Kilamahi looked down at Meilin.
To the goddess, the Spider Queen seemed no larger than an insignificant ant.
"You dare..."
Her voice was quiet.
Far too quiet.
"...child."
Kilamahi's enraged gaze remained fixed upon Ryu Shion Meilin.
Meilin's body trembled.
She knew that presence.
She knew the stories.
The War Goddess of the once-extinct Alderman House.
The goddess worshipped by the very people whose descendants had once stood among Tianyu's most terrifying forces.
For the first time in years, fear completely consumed the Spider Queen.
"M... Ma... Maladeva is an Alderman...?"
Her voice barely escaped her lips.
"MMPH!"
A violent gust of wind suddenly erupted.
Meilin was thrown backward as though struck by an invisible force. Her body slammed into her makeup table, sending bottles, brushes, containers, and other belongings scattering across the floor.
She groaned as she struggled to regain her balance.
"You rat...!"
Kilamahi stepped forward.
Her physical form became even more tangible, her presence filling the room as she fully manifested before Meilin.
The War Goddess gripped her trident tightly.
"I dare you to touch him again..."
Her crimson eyes burned with fury.
"...and I will plunge Tianyu into the pits of hell myself."
Kilamahi's voice carried a coldness that made every word feel like a death sentence.
"Do not forget who helped you arrogant, nosy trash during that time."
She slammed the butt of her trident against the floor.
The room trembled.
"Can you not admit that you still think of it as humiliation? My loyal children, my Aldermans, risked their lives to take down that colossal beast..."
Her expression hardened.
"...and this is how you repay them?"
Meilin struggled to breathe.
"P... please, allow me to explain why I did this...!"
The pressure surrounding Kilamahi was unbearable. Meilin's lungs struggled to draw in air as the atmosphere itself seemed to become heavier with every passing second.
"You better have a damn good reason, harlot!"
Kilamahi slammed her trident down once more.
The oppressive pressure instantly receded.
Meilin gasped desperately, drawing air into her lungs as she steadied herself against the damaged makeup table.
"I know what the Aldermans did," Meilin said between breaths. "But I am not like them. That was hundreds of thousands of years ago. I wasn't even born then."
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to remain composed beneath Kilamahi's furious gaze.
"Nonetheless, the story of hatred and lies spread throughout Tianyu for years."
Kilamahi narrowed her eyes.
"And what was your purpose for my child here...?"
Her voice became quieter again.
More dangerous.
Ryu Shion Meilin swallowed hard before finally answering.
"Because Maladeva is the key to helping me take back the throne."
Meanwhile, inside Dante's consciousness, he slowly opened his eyes.
"Huh? Where am I?"
He muttered to himself as he pushed himself upright and looked around.
There was nothing.
No ground.
No sky.
No walls.
No sound.
Everything around him was completely white, stretching endlessly into a vast nothingness. Dante slowly turned his head from side to side, trying to find some kind of landmark, but there was nothing he could recognize.
"This is weird..."
"Ish can siour."
Dante suddenly froze.
A foreign voice had spoken from somewhere nearby.
He quickly turned around.
A shapeless black figure stood in the distance.
Dante narrowed his eyes and studied it carefully. It had no clear facial features, no identifiable clothing, and no discernible details that could tell him exactly what it was. However, judging from its general shape and build, it appeared to be male.
"Sol fin ma dan kaisor...?"
The figure spoke again.
Dante stared at it.
"I don't know what you're saying, but I'm guessing the first one means you're awake, and the second is..."
He paused, scratching his cheek.
"I don't know what the hell that was. But who are you?"
The black figure remained silent.
Then it began walking toward him.
Dante immediately became cautious.
His body instinctively shifted into a defensive stance as the figure approached. He did not know where he was, who this person was, or why he had suddenly appeared inside his consciousness.
The figure walked around him.
Once.
Then twice.
It slowly examined Dante from head to toe, almost as though inspecting an object rather than a person.
Dante followed its movements with his eyes, refusing to turn his back toward it.
"What are you looking at?"
The figure stopped behind him.
Dante's shoulders tightened.
A moment later, it moved around to his front again.
The figure raised its hand.
Dante's eyes narrowed.
Before he could react, one finger gently tapped against his forehead.
Tap.
"Hmm..."
The figure tilted its head.
"Can you understand me now? In proper English?"
Dante suddenly took a step backward.
His eyes widened.
That voice was completely different.
More importantly, the language was unmistakable.
English.
Not the strange language from before.
English from his past life.
Dante's expression hardened immediately.
"I asked again..."
He lowered his stance, keeping his eyes locked on the black figure.
"Who are you?"
The figure did not answer directly.
Instead, it simply stared at him.
"You're not there yet..."
Its voice was calm, almost indifferent.
"...patience is the key."
Dante clenched his fists.
"What the hell does that mean?"
The figure slowly raised one hand.
"Take this as a token of your journey."
A strange sensation suddenly passed through the white void.
Dante's eyes widened as he felt something change around him.
"The next time we meet..."
The figure's body began to fade.
"...I expect results."
"WAIT!"
Dante immediately reached toward it.
"What do you mean, results?!"
The black figure continued disappearing.
"Hey!"
Dante stepped forward.
"Tell me who you are!"
But the figure vanished completely.
The white dreamscape began collapsing with it.
The endless emptiness distorted, twisting around Dante as though the entire world had suddenly become unstable.
"Wait!"
Dante reached out again.
"What results?!"
The dreamscape shattered.
Dante's eyes snapped open.
He immediately sat upright and looked around.
His breathing was heavy.
For a few seconds, he simply stared ahead, trying to understand what had just happened.
Then he realized where he was.
He was lying in Ryu Shion Meilin's bed.
"Glad you're awake."
Dante's head immediately snapped toward the voice.
Ryu Shion Meilin stood nearby.
Dante's expression instantly darkened.
"You..."
His fist tightened.
"Why, I ought to..."
Dante was already moving.
He swung his arm forward, ready to beat the hell out of Meilin for what she had attempted earlier.
But before he could reach her, a familiar presence suddenly appeared between them.
Kilamahi manifested in her normal physical form and caught Dante by the arm.
"Boy, calm yourself. It's alright."
Dante stopped.
His anger remained visible on his face, but the moment he recognized her, his expression changed to confusion.
"Kila?"
He looked at her from head to toe.
"Wait, you're in your physical form!"
Kilamahi nodded.
"Don't worry. I told her the full story, and she told me her reasons."
Dante slowly lowered his arm.
His eyes shifted toward Meilin.
Kilamahi then turned toward the Spider Queen.
"Now."
Her expression became stern.
"What you told me, tell that to him."
Ryu Shion Meilin took a breath before walking forward.
She stopped several steps away from Dante, keeping a respectful distance this time.
"I apologize for what I did just now."
Dante crossed his arms.
Meilin continued.
"I did it because I wanted to take the canine tooth of Calamithus that you bought at the auction yesterday and turn it into a weapon for myself."
Dante frowned.
"For what reason?"
His eyes narrowed.
"And why is everybody so worked up over one stupid tooth?"
Ryu Shion Meilin sighed.
She turned away from Dante and walked toward a large shelf filled with old books and historical records.
"There is a reason."
Her fingers moved across the shelves before stopping on one particular section.
"Hundred thousands of years ago, a mad scholar conducted experiments that went beyond humanity."
She pulled out a large photo album covered in dust.
"The result..."
She opened it.
"...was a dragon."
Meilin slowly flipped through the pages.
"An artificial dragon."
Dante's expression became more serious.
Meilin continued turning the pages until she reached a particular image.
She stopped.
Then she tapped her finger against the individual in the photograph.
"His name is Guang Dei Long..."
Her voice became quieter.
"...my brother."
Dante stepped closer and looked at the photograph.
His eyes moved between the image and Meilin several times.
Then he looked back at the photograph.
Then at Meilin again.
"You two look nothing alike."
Meilin gave a small, tired smile.
"That's because my father had two wives."
She turned another page before closing the album halfway.
"One was a concubine he slept with out of wedlock in a pub."
She paused.
"And the other was the queen."
Meilin placed a hand against the album.
"My mother."
Dante's eyes widened.
"Wait, your..."
Meilin looked directly at him.
"That's right."
Her expression became solemn.
"My real name is Shion Duolong."
Back in the Casino District, several thugs hurried through the corridors before finally reaching Cai Yok Tan's chambers.
The moment they entered, they froze.
What greeted them was a massacre.
Women lay scattered across the chamber, their bodies bearing the brutal aftermath of Cai Yok Tan's cruelty. Some had been beaten beyond recognition, while others had clearly been abused before being killed. The entire room reeked of blood and death, leaving the thugs standing in uncomfortable silence as they tried not to look directly at the bodies.
None of them dared to speak.
At the center of the chamber, Cai Yok Tan sat comfortably on his balcony.
His massive body rested against his chair as he stared across the district toward the Brothel District, where Ryu Shion Meilin's territory stood.
His eyes remained fixed on the distant tower.
Slowly, Cai reached into his pocket and pulled out a small telescope.
He raised it to his eye and adjusted the lens.
His gaze immediately settled on Dante's Chicken Rice Restaurant.
Despite everything that had happened the previous night, the restaurant was still buzzing with countless customers. People continued entering and leaving the establishment, completely unaware of the hatred building within the Casino District.
Cai's expression twisted with rage.
"Maladeva..."
His fingers tightened around the telescope.
"You dare provoke me?"
His breathing became heavier.
"You cut my ear, stole my spotlight by taking what's mine..."
His face contorted with fury.
"That fallen queen is mine."
He gritted his teeth.
"MINE!"
With a roar, Cai hurled the telescope over the balcony.
The device disappeared into the distance before crashing somewhere below.
"And that bitch, Ryu Shion Meilin!"
Cai slammed his fist against the balcony railing.
"She thinks she's the peacekeeper for us?! Like hell!"
He spun around and glared at his subordinates.
"And what are you fools still standing there for?!"
The thugs immediately flinched.
One of them stepped forward nervously.
"B... Boss."
Cai's eyes narrowed.
"Someone has been eager to see you," the thug explained. "He said he can help you deal with your problems in exchange for whatever he needs."
Cai scoffed.
"Bring him in."
He leaned back in his chair.
"Let's see if he can do any better."
The thugs quickly bowed and stepped aside.
A few moments later, the chamber doors opened.
A mysterious figure walked inside.
He wore a long cloak that concealed most of his body, while a hood covered his face completely. His footsteps were calm and deliberate as he approached Cai, showing no sign of fear despite the gruesome scene surrounding him.
Cai stared at him suspiciously.
The stranger stopped several meters away.
"Greetings."
His hand slowly reached for the edge of his hood.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
He pulled the hood down.
His face was finally revealed.
"I am Ceylon..."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"...and I have the answer to all your troubles."
Thud!
At the same time, back in Ryu Shion Meilin's chamber, stacks upon stacks of books, formulas, historical records, and ancient documents concerning Tianyu had been placed across the desk.
Dante sat in front of the enormous pile, flipping through the books one after another. His eyes moved quickly across every page as he absorbed as much information as possible.
However, there was no way even Dante could realistically read everything himself.
That was why several goblins had been summoned into the room.
They sat around the chamber with books in their hands, reading through the ancient records at an incredible pace. Every piece of knowledge they absorbed was transmitted directly into Dante's mind, allowing him to process the information without personally having to read every single page.
One goblin turned a page.
Another grabbed a second book.
A third was already halfway through an enormous historical record.
The process continued endlessly.
Ryu Shion Meilin returned with another stack of books and placed them in front of Dante with a heavy thud.
"Are you sure you really need this many books?"
She stared at the mountain of material surrounding him.
"It will take at least years to finish them."
Dante casually picked up another book and opened it.
"And that is why these goblins will aid me."
He gestured toward them.
The goblins continued reading without stopping.
Page after page.
Book after book.
Dante leaned back slightly as the information continued flowing into his mind.
Ryu Shion Meilin watched the strange process for a few seconds before sighing.
"Dante..."
She hesitated.
"I mean, Maladeva..."
Dante glanced toward her.
"You already know my real name, but keep it a secret."
His tone became more serious.
"Ruthwilfer Hounds are watching twenty-four seven. But thanks to your Domain Expansion cutting off what they might see inside here, it helps a lot."
Meilin nodded slowly.
"So..."
She crossed her arms.
"Shion Duolong?"
Dante looked at her with a faint grin.
"So, Shion Duolong?"
He deliberately emphasized her real name.
Meilin's face immediately tightened.
"Ugh. You make me sound like a teenager."
She placed a hand against her forehead.
"I'm thirty-six years old."
Dante chuckled.
"But yes," Meilin continued, her expression becoming more solemn. "I'm the rightful heir to the throne of the Tianyu Dynasty."
Dante turned another page before finally setting the book aside.
"So, what happened?"
Meilin took a deep breath.
Her playful expression disappeared.
"Me, the eldest. Guang Dei Long, the middle child but my stepbrother. And King Gu Dao Duolong."
She looked toward the window.
"I was the rightful heir. The smartest, the strategist, and the most cunning of them all."
Dante nodded slowly.
"Uh-huh."
He leaned back in his chair.
"Like what you did a few hours ago."
Meilin's face immediately became embarrassed.
"I said I was sorry."
"Sure you did."
Dante gave her an unconvinced look.
Meilin sighed.
She had clearly expected him to keep teasing her.
"My father died bedridden in his final moments. But something went wrong."
She lowered her gaze.
"When he was still well, my father publicly announced to Tianyu that I would be the next queen."
Her fingers slowly tightened against her arm.
"But after his death..."
She paused.
"The will changed."
Dante's expression became sharper.
"You think someone tampered with it?"
"Yes."
Meilin nodded.
"It was a dark time for my family. Guang Dei Long was outcast when Father learned of his inhumane ways and—"
"I'm not talking about that."
Dante deliberately interrupted her.
Meilin stopped mid-sentence.
Dante stared at her.
"I'm talking about the age."
Meilin blinked.
Dante rubbed his chin.
"Like, I'm confused. Hundreds of thousands of years ago?"
He tilted his head.
"You're basically, what? One hundred thousand and thirty-six years old?"
Meilin stared at him in complete silence.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she answered with a completely straight face.
"...122,436 years old."
Dante froze.
Ryu Shion Meilin had just casually answered his question.
Dante leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling as he tried to process the information Shion had just given him.
"It doesn't make sense..."
He rubbed his temples.
"You're a hundred thousand years old, and... and..."
Dante suddenly threw his hands up.
"Argh! I need a breather."
He pushed himself out of the chair and walked toward the balcony.
The moment he stepped outside, the cool air brushed against his face. Dante rested both hands against the railing and stared out across the vast Red Light District, trying to organize the ridiculous amount of information inside his head.
Behind him, Ryu Shion Meilin slowly followed.
"I guess I really put you in a corner, child."
Dante glanced over his shoulder.
Meilin stopped a short distance behind him.
"But I need that canine tooth."
Her voice became serious.
"It's the only way I can save Tianyu, break its curse, and take down and kill my brother."
Dante turned around fully.
Meilin's expression was no longer playful. There was determination in her eyes, but beneath it was exhaustion that seemed to have accumulated over centuries.
"This is not your fight."
She looked toward the distant city.
"It's mine alone."
Her hands slowly tightened.
"The reason I hide in the Red Light District is to gather as many allies as possible. Politicians, sect masters, influential families, merchants..."
She paused.
"All of them."
Her voice became quieter.
"Even if it means using..."
She hesitated.
"...my body for their cravings."
Meilin looked away, her expression filled with disgust toward herself.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
"You're disgusted by my methods."
A small, bitter chuckle escaped her lips.
"It's understandable."
Dante remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he spoke.
"Your case is no different from Járnheimr."
Meilin looked at him.
"If you know about the Kingdom of the Dwarfs, a similar incident happened there."
Dante leaned against the balcony railing.
"Except the queen created an artificial intelligence mechanism to take on her duties as queen while she hid herself inside her laboratory."
Meilin listened carefully.
"In the end..."
Dante paused.
"It became self-aware."
Meilin's expression slowly changed.
"Well, that's..."
She stared at him.
"...disturbing."
BOOMMM!!!
A massive explosion suddenly erupted from the southern side of the Brothel District.
The shockwave rattled the surrounding buildings.
Dante immediately turned toward the source of the explosion.
"What the hell?!"
Smoke and debris rose into the sky.
Ryu Shion Meilin's expression instantly became serious.
She stepped toward the edge of the balcony and looked over the district.
Dante moved beside her.
"What's going on?"
"I don't know."
Meilin's eyes narrowed as she watched the smoke spreading across the skyline.
"Stay here."
She turned toward him.
"As I have said, don't interfere with the Red Light District lords."
Without waiting for an answer, Meilin stepped onto the balcony railing.
Dante's eyes widened.
"Wait—"
Meilin jumped.
Her body dropped from the balcony before mana suddenly erupted around her.
A magical thread shot toward a nearby tower.
The force pulled her forward, allowing her to swing around the side of the building before releasing the thread.
She landed briefly against the side of another tall building, pushed off, and immediately launched another thread toward the next structure.
Swing.
Release.
Attach.
Swing.
Her movements became increasingly fluid as she crossed the district, using the towering buildings as anchors while rapidly making her way toward the explosion.
Dante stared after her.
"Damn..."
He scratched his head.
"She moves like Spider-Man from those cartoons I watched growing up in my past life."
At the southern side of the Brothel District, chaos had erupted.
People screamed and scattered in every direction, desperately fleeing the streets as a massive figure wielding an enormous warhammer tore through the district. Stalls were overturned, buildings trembled, and terrified residents scrambled to escape the destruction.
"WHERE IS HE?! GIVE ME THAT MALADEVA!!!"
The furious roar echoed throughout the Red Light District, shaking the surrounding buildings.
But the figure standing amid the devastation was no longer the Cai Yok Tan everyone knew.
His body had transformed into a grotesque, demonic monstrosity. His flesh had twisted unnaturally, his enormous limbs bulged with monstrous strength, and his once familiar features had become horrifyingly distorted. In his massive hand rested a gigantic warhammer, its sheer weight enough to crush anything unfortunate enough to stand in its path.
Cai Yok Tan had become a demon.
By the time Ryu Shion Meilin and the Wolf King arrived, the transformed Pig King was already clashing against the two underworld lords, sending shock waves through the surrounding streets with every swing of his weapon.
"CAI YOK TAN!"
Meilin shouted, attempting to get his attention.
"What the hell happened to you?!"
Cai Yok Tan offered no answer.
Instead, he swung his warhammer wildly, forcing everyone nearby to retreat. The weapon smashed into the ground, sending chunks of stone and debris flying through the air.
The Wolf King immediately positioned himself beside Meilin, keeping his eyes on the rampaging demon.
"Spider Queen, we need a plan!" he shouted. "If he continues like this, it'll become a serious problem! We might even bring down the Tianyu royal guards!"
Meilin gritted her teeth.
She understood the consequences. If the destruction continued spreading, the royal authorities would have no choice but to intervene. And once the royal guards arrived, the entire Red Light District could become a battlefield.
Before either of them could formulate a plan, Cai Yok Tan suddenly bent his knees.
"What is he doing...?"
The Wolf King's eyes widened.
BOOM!
Cai Yok Tan launched himself into the air with a tremendous leap, soaring over the two underworld lords before crashing down onto the main building of Ryu Shion Meilin's establishment.
The entire structure shook violently.
Dust poured from the walls as cracks spread across the rooftop beneath his feet.
Cai Yok Tan slowly straightened his massive body.
Then he turned toward the opposite side.
His gaze settled on Dante's Chicken Rice Restaurant.
Without another word, he began walking toward it.
Inside the restaurant, Kaen noticed the approaching monstrosity.
Her expression immediately changed.
The playful, relaxed demeanor she usually carried vanished as her body shifted into full battle mode. Her robotic tail extended behind her, its mechanical joints locking into position as she lowered her stance.
"Hiss!!!"
Kaen sprang forward.
Her speed was her greatest advantage against an opponent of Cai Yok Tan's enormous size. She darted between his legs, twisted around his blind spots, and launched successive attacks against his exposed joints.
Each strike landed with calculated precision.
Cai Yok Tan staggered slightly.
For a brief moment, Kaen's assault appeared to be working. She managed to weaken him a little, forcing the enormous demon to adjust his footing as he struggled to keep up with her movements.
Unfortunately, her attacks came at a cost.
The surrounding buildings suffered damage as Cai Yok Tan swung his warhammer in an attempt to crush her. Stone pillars shattered, walls collapsed, and debris rained onto the streets.
Kaen narrowly evaded another devastating swing before darting toward his flank.
But Cai Yok Tan had finally anticipated her movements.
His massive hand shot forward.
"Got you!"
Before Kaen could escape, his fingers closed around her body.
Her eyes widened.
"Wha...?!"
Cai Yok Tan swung his arm and hurled her away with monstrous force.
BOOM! CRASH! CRASH!
Kaen smashed through one building, then another, before crashing through a third.
The impact sent debris scattering across the street.
For several seconds, she remained motionless beneath the rubble.
Then her fingers twitched.
With a strained grunt, Kaen pushed herself upright, shaking loose the fragments of stone clinging to her body.
"Damn..."
She staggered forward, struggling to regain her balance.
But the moment she looked ahead, her expression changed.
Cai Yok Tan was approaching Farah.
The former Queen of Al Rayan sat motionless amid the chaos, her body curled inward as she stared blankly at the ground. The destruction unfolding around her barely registered in her mind.
She looked broken.
Completely unaware that the monster approaching her intended to take her away.
"Hehehe..."
Cai Yok Tan's grotesque face twisted into a hideous grin.
"My precious toy..."
He licked his lips as he extended his enormous hand toward Farah.
She did not move.
His fingers drew closer.
Just inches away.
BANG!!!
A gunshot suddenly rang out.
Cai Yok Tan's hand jerked backward.
A bloody hole had appeared in his palm.
"GRAAAAH!"
The demonized Pig King roared in pain and fury, clutching his wounded hand before turning toward the direction of the shot.
"WHO DARES?!"
His furious gaze swept across the surrounding buildings.
Then he looked up.
Standing on the balcony of the restaurant was Dante.
The young man held his summoned pistols, his expression cold as he stared down at the monstrous figure below.
For a brief moment, neither of them moved.
Then Dante leaped over the balcony railing.
His body plunged toward the street before he landed with a heavy step, immediately bursting forward in a shadowy blur.
He dashed through the chaotic street, weaving past scattered debris and damaged structures as he closed the distance between himself and Cai Yok Tan.
His eyes remained fixed on the demon.
With a swift motion, Dante summoned his Vermillion chained blades.
The crimson weapons materialized in his hands, their chains rattling as he swung them into position.
CLANG!
Dante's first strike collided with Cai Yok Tan's warhammer, sending sparks scattering between them.
The impact forced the enormous demon to shift his footing.
Dante landed in front of him, his crimson eyes burning with murderous intent.
"Okay, now I'm gonna kill you, faggot."
His voice was low and cold.
There was no trace of his usual easygoing demeanor.
No teasing.
No jokes.
Only killing intent.
Cai Yok Tan snarled and raised his warhammer.
Dante tightened his grip on the Vermillion blades.
Then both of them lunged forward.
Their weapons collided with a deafening crash, sending another shock wave through the already devastated street as the battle between Dante and the demonized Pig King began in earnest.
Chapter 68 — End.