Chapter 22: The Tyrant’s Gaze and a Hero’s Resolve

The Demon Lord, now utterly transformed from her previous self, offered no superfluous words, no premonition of movement.

It was as if, having heeded Qiaolun’s resolute ‘declaration of death,’ she had fully embraced the role of a merciless tyrant, sweeping forth with a storm that tore everything asunder, trampling the human before her.

The full-length cloak, covering her entire form, slowly slipped from the Demon Lord’s shoulders.

The flat of her blade lifted Qiaolun’s chin as he knelt on the ground, and in that motionless tableau, the two figures resembled a lifelike sculpture.

Thousands of spectators, witnessing this scene, fell silent, utterly transfixed.

What would the Demon Lord do next?

Would she sever this human’s head?

Or cleave him in two?

Perhaps she would punch a hole through his stomach?

Edesbond, having long since lost interest in this insipid battle, turned to leave without a backward glance.

‘Utterly tedious,’ he thought.

“Heh heh, Edesbond, the truly important part I mentioned is about to begin.”

Meredith’s rare smile halted the indifferent, blood-soaked King, prompting Edesbond to follow her gaze and look back.

As if her interest had waned, the Demon Lord raised her sword once more, gathering power to strike down Qiaolun, who remained kneeling.

“Can you put up a bit more resistance, Hero…?”

“I will leave a lasting impression on you, Demon Lord.”

A flash of black light streaked forth, and the powerful sword qi, as it descended, cracked the earth beneath the Demon Lord’s feet.

No blood or severed limbs splattered; instead, the Demon Lord perceived a scorching aura behind her.

By instantly converting all the magic within his body and pausing it at the intermediary stage of elemental transformation, he created a pseudo-elemental force that shared the same properties yet allowed for reverse recovery.

This force then resonated with the small amount of fire element imbued in his sword, briefly elementalizing his body and allowing him to return to his weapon with extreme speed.

While it achieved the same effect as teleportation in spatial magic, its underlying principle was vastly different.

The Demon Lord’s face turned slightly, a corner of her mouth curving into an intrigued smile.

Plumes of steam billowed from Qiaolun’s sleeves, and behind the white mist, the man’s face appeared profoundly weary and strained.

It was not merely the searing heat from the flames flickering across his skin; the sheer act of forcibly elementalizing himself for that flash had drained a significant amount of Qiaolun’s energy.

At this moment, he no longer felt the oppressive deterrence of the Demon Lord’s aura, for the profound exhaustion in his body left him no spare energy to even register it.

‘Such power truly befits the title of Demon Lord,’ he thought.

‘It’s just that my strength is too meager; for her, this is probably not even a warm-up.’

Qiaolun offered a self-deprecating smile.

Regardless of whether his opponent truly regarded him as an amusing toy, he had proclaimed himself a Hero, and thus, he must display the spirit of one!

As Qiaolun gripped his sword with both hands, a torrent of magic surged into Dawn’s Hymn, causing the silvery, sacred light to grow ever more resplendent.

Light magic, distinct from the four basic elemental magics, was categorized as an elemental type within human understanding, yet its power and effects far surpassed what elemental forces of comparable levels could achieve.

As the light expanded, a gigantic silver greatsword cleaved through the white mist, its immense weight causing the ground beneath Qiaolun’s feet to indent.

The ensuing battle was already meaningless.

From an objective standpoint, the victor had been decided the moment the Demon Lord revealed her true power.

Yet Qiaolun was a Hero who refused to turn back.

Witnessing this spectacle, the spectators gasped in astonishment, many sensing that the magic contained within was potent enough to obliterate the entire Arena of Fate.

Unsurprisingly, a look of surprise dawned on the Demon Lord’s face, and her gentle, water-like gaze returned to her pale red eyes.

Yunajin plunged Twilight’s Elegy into the ground, her slender hand leaving the hilt as she gradually walked towards the light-shrouded Qiaolun.

Like a child eager to showcase their strength to a parent, Yunajin gazed at him with an expression of doting affection.

‘Lord Hero, you truly are a contradictory man,’ she mused.

‘But even so, you’re quite adorable.’

A roar—

The roaring sound of the tornado-like white light drowned out Qiaolun’s own furious cry.

Stripped-away rocks spun and tore through the air, and nearby spectators were nearly swept into the rampaging white light, which even distorted space itself.

“His aptitude is indeed ordinary, yet this human possesses a combat potential that stands out among his own kind—a quality our Demon Lord, unfortunately, lacks.”

Meredith cast a glance at Edesbond, the depths of her purple eyes swirling with shifting light.

The King of Vampires seemed to realize something, saying, “You wish for this human to serve by the Demon Lord’s side?”

Surprise, doubt, and dissatisfaction were all evident in Edesbond’s brief statement, revealing his unfamiliarity with the Great Priestess of the Demon Race’s decision.

‘This isn’t like her at all,’ he thought.

‘No, I must have misunderstood her intentions.’

“Allow me to tell you a truth…”

The Arena Overseer’s room was sufficiently secluded; no one knew what they discussed.

However, when Edesbond emerged from the room, an inexplicable gravity had settled in his eyes, as if he were deeply contemplating something.

He glanced at Yunajin, who was engulfed by the white light within the arena, let out a cold snort, and then departed.

“Magic? How could that possibly be effective against that monster…?”

Yunajin extended her hand, and an invisible force erupted forth.

Silence—

Whoosh—

The storm abruptly ceased, and everything returned to tranquility.

Only Qiaolun, at last, revealed a look of relief, laughing soundlessly as he said, “So that’s it.

Is this also your power…?”

The exhilarating battle concluded with Yunajin’s victory.

It must be said that Qiaolun’s desperate resistance had forced Yunajin, who had initially expected to end the fight in a single blow, to endure several rounds.

Had Yunajin not possessed the ability to nullify magic, Qiaolun’s fully charged final strike might very well have injured her.

****

“Demon Lord, everything is prepared.”

Vivi drew back the curtain for Yunajin, revealing a space wreathed in white mist—her exclusive bathing chamber.

No matter how fierce the preceding battle had been, Yunajin felt she had certainly worked up a sweat, her skin and hair now coated with a layer of fine, grey dust.

‘Oh, right,’ she recalled, ‘my left armpit aches sporadically; I might have injured it.

This bathhouse seems to have healing properties.

Lord Hero’s magic is depleted, rendering him unable to use recovery magic for healing—as recovery magic essentially stimulates the target’s own magic to repair their body.

So…’

A well-built human man was submerged halfway in the water, his head bowed, seemingly still unconscious.

Yunajin swallowed.

‘No, no, no,’ she internally stammered.

‘It’s just to help him heal, that’s all! Nothing to make a fuss about!’

“Vivi,” Yunajin called out, unfastening her dress and stopping Vivi, who was about to pick up her clothes.

“Yes, Demon Lord?”

“It’s just… that…” Yunajin, realizing she had never made such a request before, said bashfully, “Could you… help me bathe?”

“Ah!” Vivi yelped, a shiver running through her entire body.

“Shh shh—don’t get so excited!”

The black and white maid covered her flushed face; alas, she was a Slime, otherwise she surely would have heard the frantic thumping of her own heart.

‘Bathing the Demon Lord! I’m going to bathe the Demon Lord!’

Slimes, with their pliable bodies, glided over skin, cleansing impurities, massaging muscles; even deeper, more intimate needs were effortlessly met by them.

Such customs and practices were common among the populace, but Vivi considered that, as the Demon Lord stood above all others, she was naturally different from ordinary demons.

And yet today, the Demon Lord had actually issued such a command.

No, it was less a command and more a generous boon!

Yunajin extended her hands, and Vivi, with a transformative shimmer, became a blob of grey Slime that leaped into her embrace.

‘Oh, this is too, too blissful!’

Oh my—

Yunajin slowly stepped into the pool, a wave of warmth instantly spreading through her entire body.

Misty steam diffused around them, and the spring water felt soft and smooth against her skin.

While Yunajin’s body was capable of resisting extreme heat, registering varying degrees of warmth, being immersed in this perfectly temperate pool was simply a normal, pleasant sensation.

Yunajin tried her best not to look at the sleeping Qiaolun not far away, yet she was reluctant to finish her bath quickly and leave, until a muffled sound emanated from him.

Under the revitalizing effects of the spring water, Qiaolun’s few broken internal bones swiftly reconnected on their own.

“Gah—”

Qiaolun let out a cry of awakening, stretching languidly as he surveyed his surroundings.

“Eek?!” Yunajin shivered in fright, the splashing water seemingly drawing his attention.

‘Does this man just let out random cries when he wakes up?’ she wondered.

Harboring this question, Yunajin cautiously retreated further into the corner.

“Hmm? What was that?

There couldn’t be anyone else here, could there? Certainly no women, at least.”