Battle At The Capital.

Inside the Demon King’s Castle, two shadows moved.

A golden lion beastkin and a demon clad like a silver knight.

Zegart and Tsukuyomi.

Leading a handpicked unit, the two were ascending the stairs.

Their destination was the Audience Chamber on the top floor.

That was where the core of the Demon Realm’s military strength—the Demon Generals—should be gathered.

“It seems our plan to lure Fried to the Inferno City, Jiregga, was a success. Right about now, Sigmund disguised as me should be keeping him occupied.”

“Everything is proceeding as envisioned, my lord.”

Tsukuyomi nodded in agreement with Zegart’s words.

“However, according to my calculations, if Fried fights at full combat capacity—even the Fourth Army will be wiped out in a matter of minutes.”

“If he fights at full power, that is,” Zegart chuckled to himself.

The Fourth Army was the finest force in the Demon Realm, filled with matchless, seasoned warriors.

However, Fried was simply too strong. His combat capabilities were far too beyond normal bounds. Even the Fourth Army would not stand a chance against him.

However—

“Despite possessing such overwhelming stats, that man often holds back in battle. He appears to avoid harming others whenever possible.”

Zegart’s smirk widened, sharp fangs peeking out from the corner of his mouth.

“That soft-heartedness is precisely the weakness for us to exploit.”

“Agreed, my lord,” Tsukuyomi nodded. “Lord Zegart is a fierce warrior who will ruthlessly crush everything without a shred of mercy. That is precisely why I chose to bet on you rather than Fried.”

“Hmm. When I become King, I shall appoint you as my second-in-command. I count on your support.”

“Understood, my lord… Though, I am risking quite a lot to cooperate here, so that level of reward is only natural. I would appreciate it if you didn’t sound so patronizing… mutter mutter…”

“I can hear everything, Tsukuyomi.”

“I was talking to myself, my lord.”

“…Hmph, well, fine.”

It was true that Tsukuyomi had quirks in his personality, but it was also true that he was capable. Above all—his cooperation was indispensable to defeating Fried.

“Let’s go. For the sake of Sigmund and the others holding the line, we must carry out our mission successfully.”

I will become King, without fail—

As he marched along the corridors of the Demon King’s Castle, Zegart renewed his inner resolve. With every step, his heart burned hotter.

After preparing for a very long time, he had finally reached this day.

Since his ancestor, Rosgart “The Crimson Lion,” no Demon King had emerged from Zegart’s bloodline for over a thousand years.

He would make sure it happened in his generation.

When it does, would his epithet as Demon King be something like “The Golden Lion”?

Along with thrilling thoughts of the future, Zegart’s ambition reached its peak.

He had already unleashed a separate force into the Royal Capital, distinct from the army in Jiregga, to secure control of the city.

All that remained was to subdue the high-ranking Demon Generals. Once that was done, it would literally be checkmate.

“The Audience Chamber is near, my lord,” Tsukuyomi said.

“Good. I will enter from the front. Tsukuyomi, keep a sharp eye out so our targets do not escape.”

“Understood, my lord.”

“Mm.”

Nodding to Tsukuyomi, Zegart muffled his footsteps and dashed forward.

The muscles across his entire body bulged, bursting his armor open from the sheer force. The crimson pattern emerging on his chest was proof that he had entered his full-power combat form.

BOOM!

Shattering the doors of the Audience Chamber, he burst inside.

“Zegart…?!”

“Weren’t you supposed to be in Jiregga—”

Felia and Olivier looked toward him in shock.

Without a word, Zegart swung his right arm.

“Kyah?!”

A blast wave swept through the room, blowing both of them back.

It was a heavily held-back strike. Since they were not combat-type fighters, putting too much force into it could accidentally kill them.

“Ugh…”

Groaning, the female demons picked themselves up.

“You faked an attack on Jiregga just to strike here…!”

“U-Um, I really don’t think rebelling is a good idea…”

Felia glared fiercely, while Olivier panicked in confusion.

A master of Astral Mind Magic and an expert in Healing Magic—he had to neutralize them first to sever the Demon King’s support network.

“Tsukuyomi, seal them.”

“Understood, my lord.”

Ordered from behind, Tsukuyomi stepped forward alongside a massive magical machine.

The device, shaped like a giant cage, was a type of pocket-dimension generator created using the pinnacle of Tsukuyomi’s alchemy. It was a tool capable of sealing away even Juda, albeit temporarily.

“I will have you stay locked inside here for a while, my ladies.”

“Don’t look down on us just because we aren’t frontline fighters!” Felia glared with a sharp gaze.

Though she used to be mentally fragile in the past, she seemed to have grown stronger through the recent battle against the Hero Army. Even in this situation, she showed no sign of faltering.

That was precisely why she was valuable as a pawn—not under Fried, but under his own command as the new Demon King.

(You will serve as power to strike down the Heroes and God.)

Zegart smirked inward.

“Astral Magic, activate—”

A pale pink radiance overflowed from Felia’s entire body. The light traced complex patterns in the air, forming a magic circle.

“Nightmare World: Form of Delusion (Ludmistia)!”

It was a spell that targeted the subject’s mind, inducing powerful illusions. Cast by Felia, the foremost practitioner of Astral Magic in the Demon Realm, its effect was absolute. There was no guarantee that even Zegart could resist it.

What was more, her activation speed was faster than anticipated.

“Impressive, I’ll give you that!”

Zegart swung his right arm.

Just in the nick of time—

“Kyaaaaaah…!”

A split second before the spell could finish, a sudden gust of wind blew Felia and Olivier away together.

He still had a use for them. When he became the Demon King, he would need them to continue serving as Demon Generals. He wanted to avoid injuring them as much as possible.

“Ghk, cough…”

Even so, being slammed against the wall dealt them considerable damage, causing Felia and Olivier to cough up blood.

“Do it, Tsukuyomi.”

“Sealing, my lord.”

Tsukuyomi flipped the switch on the device.