Loki maintained his terrifying expression.
Inside, however—
He sighed in satisfaction.
'That went rather smoothly.'
The overwhelming pressure.
The massacre.
The casual dominance.
It had all been deliberate.
Yes, he had killed hundreds of soldiers who charged at him shouting about defending the Kingdom of Coleus, about honor, about loyalty.
But it was fine.
He could revive them.
No permanent harm done.
Probably.
His hand lightly touched one of the interlocking horns on his head.
'The horns were a nice touch.'
He wasn't entirely sure if altering his appearance like this would have the desired effect.
But judging from King Tedron's trembling state It worked beautifully.
'He looks thoroughly terrified.'
Loki leaned back on the throne again.
'The Western Nations Conference…'
A small smirk formed.
'That will be entertaining.'
Truthfully, the Kingdom of Coleus wasn't so bad.
A desert nation with trade routes and wealth potential.
He had no particular issue with simply overtaking the country and crowning himself King.
It certainly beat rebuilding a nation from scratch like the Forest of Jura.
That would be troublesome.
If possible, he could even recruit Rimuru Tempest as a subordinate.
Have him build Jura Tempest properly.
Then make it a vassal state of Coleus.
A perfect arrangement.
Although…
'Coleus…'
He tilted his head slightly.
'The name doesn't quite inspire awe, does it?'
For a desert powerhouse, perhaps something grander would suit it better.
Dubai?
Saudi Arabia?
Turn it into the central hub of wealth in this world.
'…Tempting.'
But that decision could wait.
First—
The Conference.
Elsewhere.
Saare and Garde were being led down the palace corridor by an attendant.
Their footsteps echoed faintly.
Saare frowned.
"Is it normal for there to be no guards stationed here?"
Garde scanned the surroundings.
"It is quite surprising. Should you not be concerned for your King's safety?"
The attendant looked equally confused.
"It's usually not like this. There are normally hundreds of guards here. I… I have no idea where they've gone."
Saare's expression darkened.
"I see."
They turned into the hallway leading to the throne room.
And then—
Saare stopped mid-step.
His pupils shrank.
"That presence…"
Garde's face hardened.
"Yes."
A chill ran through the corridor.
"Without a doubt… that is the presence of a demon."
Saare did not hesitate.
"Let's move."
He broke into a run.
Garde followed immediately, leaving the stunned attendant behind.
The heavy doors to the throne room came into view—
They burst inside.
And froze.
King Tedron was kneeling.
The First Prince Sauzer lay on the ground, unmoving, blood pooled beneath him. Seemingly dead.
And on the throne—
Sat a demon.
Loki blinked in mild surprise.
"Oh?"
His golden eyes gleamed.
"Newcomers?"
He leaned forward slightly.
Taking a closer look.
Recognition flickered across his face.
A beaming smile appeared.
"Oh? Wait."
He clasped his hands together lightly.
"Might you two be the legendary Holy Knights?"
Saare drew his sword instantly.
The blade gleamed under the fractured chandelier light.
"A filthy demon dares to casually lounge upon the throne of a King."
His voice was sharp.
"Have you no shame?"
Garde stepped beside King Tedron, spear ready.
"King Tedron. Are you alright?"
Tedron slowly lifted his head.
His thoughts spiraled chaotically.
'You two…'
Despair tightened around his heart.
'You are not who I need right now.'
'If there were ever a time for divine intervention…'
'I need the God you serve itself.'
His hands trembled.
'You two will serve no purpose…'
His gaze shifted toward Loki—
Who still smiled pleasantly.
'…Other than being killed by this monster.'
Loki did not rise to Saare's insult.
Instead, he tilted his head slightly.
"You call me a filthy demon lounging on a throne…"
His golden eyes glinted with amusement.
"…when the God you serve herself is a demon."
The air seemed to cool.
"Is that not hypocritical of you, Holy Knight-san?"
Saare's expression hardened.
"I do not know what you are talking about."
His grip tightened on his sword.
"Nor am I interested in the words of a demon."
Holy energy gathered faintly around his blade.
"You exist for one reason right now."
His stance lowered.
"To be cut down. By me."
Loki's smile widened.
"Is that so?"
He rose slowly from the throne, stretching his arms casually as if preparing for light exercise.
"It won't be that easy. I'm quite strong, you know."
Garde stepped forward, spear humming with condensed holy aura.
"You are but a simple Demon Lord Seed."
His eyes were calm, calculating.
"You do not scare us."
"Demon Lord Seed, huh…"
Loki rolled his shoulders once.
"I suppose you're not wrong."
His expression relaxed.
"Well."
He adjusted the gloves on his hands.
"I guess there are no more words needed, right?"
The atmosphere shifted.
Holy power flared from Saare and Garde, pushing back against the thick demonic aura saturating the throne room.
The cracked walls groaned.
The air trembled.
Three powerful beings.
One throne room.
And not enough space for all of them.
---
Elsewhere.
In the golden capital of El Dorado.
Within the luxurious living room of Demon Lord Leon's castle, a rather unusual sight unfolded.
Guy Crimson sat casually in the chair usually reserved for its owner.
Across from him stood Leon Cromwell, arms crossed, expression faintly annoyed.
On a separate couch, Velzard lounged elegantly, exuding a quiet, frigid aura.
And sprawled lazily on another seat was Dino, looking as unmotivated as ever.
From the kitchen, faint clattering could be heard. Misery was diligently learning new dishes to cook for Guy Crimson.
Leon exhaled.
"Guy. You know that chair is reserved for me, right?"
Guy smiled lazily.
"I know."
He patted his lap.
"Why don't you come sit here instead?"
Leon's reply was immediate.
"Not interested."
He paused.
"By the way… that Loki."
His brows furrowed slightly.
"He's a strange demon, isn't he?"
Guy hummed.
"In what way?"
Leon's eyes sharpened.
"He was genuinely angered by my research involving otherworlder children."
His voice remained calm, but the memory lingered.
"For a demon, that reaction was… unusual."
Guy leaned back, red eyes thoughtful.
"He is a weird one."
He tapped his chin lightly.
"For a demon, he is far too kind."
His smile thinned.
"Even the kindest of demons are not as kind as him."
A pause.
"It's almost as if he isn't a true demon."
Velzard's icy gaze shifted slightly.
"So."
She spoke lazily.
"Have you figured out what the case might be, Guy?"
Guy shrugged.
"No."
He tilted his head.
"The safest assumption would be that he's half angel."
Silence fell.
"But that would be absurd."
Leon immediately nodded.
"That's impossible."
His tone was firm.
"For one to be both demon and angel? How ridiculous."
Velzard's lips curved faintly.
"I don't know."
Her voice carried quiet amusement.
"It might be possible."
Her eyes drifted toward the ceiling.
"No one truly knows what was going through my brother's mind when he was creating things."
A heavy implication lingered.
Suddenly—
Dino slowly raised his hand.
"Uh… can I say something?"
Guy waved casually.
"Go ahead, Dino."
Dino scratched his cheek.
"Well…"
He frowned slightly, searching for the right words.
"I sort of feel a connection with Loki."
The room stilled.
"It's faint. Extremely faint."
His eyes narrowed just a bit.
"But it's there."
Both Guy and Leon visibly stiffened.
Guy's smile sharpened.
"That…"
His red eyes gleamed with interest.
"…is quite the compelling piece of information."
Leon's expression turned serious.
"But it's not enough to prove anything. And if Loki truly was a hybrid. That would mean he has the potential to surpass True Dragons and beyond."
Velzard chuckled softly, the sound cold yet amused.
"Loki…"
Her eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"What an interesting being."
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