All six legion commanders under Ingram’s command had gathered.
“Everyone has done well. So, I was thinking of personally presenting a gift to you, my commanders.”
It had been one year since Ingram, the Demon King, had raised his Demon King Legion.
In that brief time, he had conquered the Duchy of Bura, established in the western part of the continent.
Naturally, he had summoned his legion commanders to commend them for their achievements.
This was not a grand ceremony like the humans’ practice of rewarding merits.
It was simply a moment for the Demon King, in a good mood, to praise his commanders.
Among the demons, where everything operated by the logic of power, a superior’s orders were absolute.
In that sense, Demon King Ingram was rather generous.
Rather than squeezing his subordinates dry, he offered some encouragement—a rare example of a wise ruler among mostly tyrannical demon kings.
Of course.
“We are but servants!”
“Your encouragement alone is enough for us, Demon King.”
Most commanders were at a loss for how to respond to such unexpected praise.
As mentioned earlier, demons obey the strong.
This absolute law, carried through generations, was etched into their DNA.
Even if ordered to die, they would willingly comply.
But encouragement?
That single word felt like full compensation for all their efforts.
Yet, exceptions always existed.
“Ö—8—8—”
With his characteristic laughter, the Commander of the Plague Legion, Salmora, stood.
“You all lack greed. But my situation is a bit different. Heh—heh—.”
Bowing toward Ingram he said, “Commander Salmora of the Plague Legion humbly requests, for research, a drop of your noble blood…”
“Swish.”
But what awaited him was the cold edge of a blade.
“If you don’t want to die, stop mocking me with that filthy mouth.”
A cold gaze gleamed from the darkness.
Resembling that of a reptile, those eyes burned with anger.
“Heh—heh—. Dragon Legion Commander, I know you’re proud to be the finest of the Demon King Legion, but this is a blatant overstep. Demon King himself has forbidden fighting among commanders—”
Blood.
Despite Salmora’s words, the magnificent sword shaped like a dragon bit into his flesh.
“Ö———.”
Green blood dripped from the wound.
It turned into mist, enveloping the surroundings.
“Crack, crackle!”
Their martial techniques clashed in the air, sparking and flying embers.
A hair-trigger moment before they unleashed lethal blows on each other.
“Enough.”
A low voice from the Demon King.
“Boom!”
It struck like a heavy stone dropped into the hall.
A grin.
As if nothing had happened.
“Why are you fighting? On such a joyful day, no less. If you keep going off track like this, I’ll be truly disappointed.”
Though he smiled, the two commanders—and everyone present—knew the truth.
If Demon King Ingram grew angry, he would tear all the legion commanders apart in an instant.
“And Dragon Legion Commander.”
“Yes!”
The Dragon Legion Commander snapped to attention like a soldier facing a division commander.
“I clearly said this was a moment to commend your achievements. And yet you completely ignored my words, didn’t you?”
Blood!
A vein sliced at his neck.
No one in the hall saw Ingram move.
The stark difference—that was the Demon King.
Darker than the blackest night.
Born to dominate all things.
“…My apologies for the offense.”
It might have stung.
To show loyalty and receive threats and wounds in return.
Yet the Dragon Legion Commander showed no sign of resentment.
Only guilt for disobeying the Demon King.
He was the strongest and most loyal of the commanders.
“Blood for research. A bit audacious, but that’s fine. If it can make our Demon King Legion stronger.”
“Swish!”
Something unseen sliced Ingram’s index finger.
Blood gushed out.
“Heh hehá…³heh.”
Salmora collected it in a glass vial.
Before long, the vial was filled with the Demon King’s blood.
“Thank you. Heh.”
Salmora smiled, having obtained the desired result.
“Now, next…”
Salmora’s audacious request was unique.
But no other commander dared make any demands afterward.
For the same reason as the Dragon Legion Commander.
No subordinate could ever demand anything of the Demon King unless they were mutants.
Finally,
“I imagine our Undying Legion Commander has a request.”
Ingram’s gray eyes shone as if spotting an intriguing prey.
All eyes turned to the Undying Legion Commander.
Except Salmora, the others’ gazes were strange.
It was understandable.
The Undying Legion Commander was human.
Demons and humans were sworn enemies.
Light and darkness; the eternal conflict of good and evil.
For a human to be not just a soldier, but a legion commander?
If not for Ingram’s orders, his head would have rolled immediately.
Yet the Demon King openly favored him.
And the Undying Legion Commander grew accordingly, rising to his position.
“My wish is…”
As Ingram expected, the Undying Legion Commander had a request.
“…to be taught one of the Demon King’s most powerful martial techniques.”
That unexpected declaration.
Silence filled the hall.
Asking for blood was clearly rude.
But for demons and the Demon King, a mere severed finger was barely a wound.
It was evident since the finger had already regrown.
Salmora’s rudeness was what was condemned.
But passing on a technique was an entirely different matter.
The Demon King was the apex of all things.
Naturally, the skills they learned from birth could not be acquired unless by the Demon King himself.
It was a challenge to his authority.
That was why all commanders roared!
Their fierce mana flared up.
Of course.
“Heh hehá…³heh—.”
Salmora only smiled his usual smile, sensing kinship.
“Ha ha ha ha!” The Demon King’s laughter broke the tense atmosphere.
“This is it! This is why I like you.”
Ingram’s hollow gray eyes fixed on the Undying Legion Commander.
“Aspirations. Even if one must serve the Demon King loyally, the greed to seize his position at any time. That is why, though human, you have risen to the rank of Undying Legion Commander.”
Ingram, pleased by the human’s impudence,
“Very well! As I promised, this meeting was to commend your achievements. I will grant your request. I shall gift you a formidable martial technique capable of razing an entire city. Look forward to it.”
A human-born legion commander mastering a technique to slaughter humans.
That was Demon King Ingram’s calculated move.
***
“Kukukukukung!”
Like a nuclear explosion, a mushroom-shaped cloud formed and filled the city.
The Great Demon Prison.
One of Demon King Ingram’s secret techniques designed for mass human slaughter.
True to its name, it utterly devastated a city—part of Hiroshima.
He gazed numbly at the traces of despair and destruction.
Tens of thousands of lives wiped out in a single strike.
But there was no emotion.
He was no longer Kim Si-won, a human.
Nor the continent’s No.1 Knight.
He was Undead Legion Commander Valdevron Brocia.
A former mass murderer who had killed tens of thousands—no, hundreds of thousands—of humans on the continent.
Without hesitation, he turned his back on the ruins of destruction.
The past repeated. The desolate sight of Hiroshima turned to rubble.
“What was that mysterious sphere that attacked Hiroshima? Could it be a new weapon invented by the Republic of Korea?”
The world was turned upside down.
Naturally, the center of attention was Hiroshima.
The mysterious black sphere that fell there.
Its destructive power reminiscent of the atomic bomb and the repeated devastation of the past.
Tens of thousands of Japanese citizens died in that single strike.
Furthermore, the unknown energy that seeped from where the sphere landed severely contaminated the earth and atmosphere.
The area transformed into a dead zone where no life could survive.
Numerous speculative articles flooded the media about the horrific disaster.
[Is this truly the ability of an Awakener? If so, it should be called a catastrophe rather than an ability.]
[Who was the mysterious entity that attacked Japan? An agent of the Republic of Korea? Or is this the emergence of a disaster threatening the Earth?]
Speculation centered on the black sphere that created the dead zone and the identity of the black knight who manifested it.
Appearing with monsters and turning Hiroshima to ruin.
Some said he was Kim Si-won.
Others claimed he was an alien.
Some even said he was an invader from another dimension.
One thing was clear: the power of that single warrior rivaled strategic nuclear weapons.
And through that calamity, hundreds of Japanese Awakeners deployed to Hiroshima died.
Japan’s military strength weakened drastically.
Public opinion reversed 180 degrees.
Japan did not want war.
Humbled, Japan raised the white flag to the Republic of Korea.
[Acting Prime Minister Takaoji Fumio, feeling responsible for the entire situation, has decided to resign.]
[His resignation will proceed after visiting the Republic of Korea to offer a sincere apology.]
Japan surrendered to South Korea.
Though the black knight’s identity remained unknown, his hostility toward Japan convinced them they could no longer force war and sacrifice.
To that end, Acting Prime Minister Takaoji Fumio planned a visit to South Korea.
To offer a sincere apology, kneel publicly, and formally declare surrender.
***
Japanese Prime Minister’s Residence
Inside the Prime Minister’s office, Acting Prime Minister Takaoji Fumio stared blankly out the window.
“…It’s over.”
The war.
The heavy responsibility weighed on his shoulders.
But it was not uncertainty about victory.
He simply wished to avoid the damage and sacrifices, the responsibilities every human inevitably bears.
Of course, he had expected victory.
To bring South Korea and its people beneath Japan’s heel.
Otherwise, he would never have resorted to bribing foreign powers.
But he had lost.
A defeat he never imagined even one percent could occur.
The cause: the mysterious black knight.
“Who the hell is he?!”
The protagonist of the nightmare that destroyed Hiroshima.
He held resentment and hatred but knew nothing about the figure.
Everything was shrouded in mystery.
What was certain was that he aided South Korea.
He—
Shortly after, the Japanese acting prime minister would travel to South Korea to formally declare surrender and endure the humiliation.
“Huu…” Just as he sighed with helplessness and despair, a familiar voice echoed in the empty room.
“Oh my, oh my. Things didn’t go as planned, did they?”
“W-who…?!”
Takaoji Fumio tried to call his bodyguards.
“It’s useless. This place is sealed by a Nullification Barrier I cast, blocking all sounds and outside intrusion.”
Silently, like magic, a figure appeared in the empty space.
“…Arch Freeman?!”
A blonde, handsome man.
He was Arch Freeman, the head of the American Elixir Research Institute, whom Takaoji Fumio had contacted earlier about purchasing summon tickets.
But—
An Awakener?
He had believed Freeman was a civilian.
Yet here was a barrier.
Had Freeman hidden his Awakening from everyone until now?
“Ah! No need to be startled. I came abruptly to present a proposal to you, Acting Prime Minister.”
A twisted smile.
At that moment, Takaoji Fumio thought: ‘No matter what i do, I could never escape the grasp of this man whose smile twisted like a demon’s.’
***
Kim Si-won, Interim President of the Republic of Korea.
Takaoji Fumio, Acting Prime Minister of Japan.
By coincidence, the two interim leaders of their respective nations faced each other.
“Click!”
Flashes erupted as photographers captured the scene.
Not long ago, these two had declared war on each other, threatening death.
Now, they met because the war’s outcome had been decided.
South Korea’s unexpected victory.
And the price demanded of Japan was surprisingly simple(?).
Compensation for all military and civilian losses and damages incurred during the war.
And the sincere apology of Acting Prime Minister Takaoji Fumio, the very one who had instigated the conflict.
In a public venue, kneeling and formally declaring surrender.
The world would remember.
The fate of the war crime nation.
The fall of Japan.
Lowering his eyes before Kim Si-won’s cold gaze, he slowly bent his knees.
Knees touching the ground.
“Japan is…” Takaoji Fumio bowed, about to declare surrender.
But the next moment—
“Long live Great Japan!”
The atmosphere shifted suddenly.
Instead of apology, the acting prime minister shouted “Long live Great Japan!”
His body—
“Whoooosh!”
Swelled up like a giant balloon.
Not only him, but everyone who had come with him.
“Whoooosh!”
Swelled.
“What is this…?” Startled, Interim President Kim Si-won stepped back.
“Protect the president!”
Guards assigned to protect him moved forward, but something was faster.
[Kim Si-won of the Republic of Korea has used an Exile Ticket (Enhanced+).]
[Though Takaoji Fumio possesses an Exile Defense Ticket (Enhanced), the enhanced effect nullifies its defensive power.]
[All Japanese people present on Republic of Korea territory will be exiled to Japan.]
[Because this is an Enhanced Ticket, the exiled will be barred from stepping foot on Republic of Korea territory for 300 hours.]
Exile and exile defense.
But the enhanced effect rendered the defense useless.
In the breathless moment of the clash,
“Kwak kwak kwak kwak kwang!”
An explosion in Chiyoda Ward unleashed a massive catastrophe upon the heart of Tokyo.