Chapter 39: The Tranquil Demon Lord’s Unveiling

“You, you brute…”

Yunajin had no desire to participate in such a trivial game, believing the other party had no right to restrict a Demon Lord’s freedom. Yet, Ramola seemed to take Yunajin’s agreement for granted, and before she could even speak, she tossed the biscuit with a smile.

‘So eager to play? Very well, then I shall grant you a glimpse of true skill.’

With a casual kick, Yunajin sent a shard of ice from the ground flying, striking the biscuit as it tumbled through the air.

Seeing this, Ramola raised an eyebrow. The rules hadn’t explicitly forbidden the use of other means to influence the biscuit, and clearly, Yunajin had spotted this loophole instantly.

So, the final outcome upon landing was…

“How is this possible?”

The expression of shock adorning a face was not Ramola’s, but rather Yunajin’s, who had altered the biscuit’s descent. She had been confident that her intervention would make the biscuit land pattern-side up, yet reality proved otherwise—

The biscuit stood perfectly upright on the ground.

“Oh dear, what an unexpected turn,” Ramola feigned a look of surprise. “Neither face up nor face down—what does that count as now?”

“Duke, perhaps we could each mind our own affairs. You could release me first, and then you two can properly discuss whatever matters you need to settle.”

Qiaolun understood perfectly that Yunajin had not come for his sake; their encounter was merely a coincidence. If that were truly the case, then as a Demon Lord, she undoubtedly had important matters to discuss with Duke Madal, and he mustn’t be the cause of any conflict between them.

Qiaolun’s only reply was a disdainful scoff from Ramola. “s*ave, you have no place speaking here.”

“Don’t be afraid, Qiaolun. You are the Hero who entered the Demon Lord’s City alone. Show her your strength.”

“Well… that might be a bit difficult.” Hearing Yunajin’s encouragement, Qiaolun felt a flush of embarrassment.

‘You don’t even consider who willingly let me in!’

“It’s fine! Just unleash the same spirit you showed when fighting me. Go up there and slap her twice, then declare, ‘Who do you think I am!’ — a truly cool line!” Yunajin exclaimed excitedly.

“That does sound pretty cool…”

Indeed, fantasy was beautiful, but reality was cruel.

Even if Qiaolun possessed ‘Dawn’s Hymn,’ capable of greatly enhancing his strength, a powerful ant, even one ten times stronger, would still appear as a weak ant in Ramola’s eyes. She would not show Qiaolun the same leniency as Yunajin.

A biting wind howled. Ramola’s magic enveloped the space where they stood, a world forged from her demonic power. Either she had to be defeated, or her domain shattered from the outside; otherwise, escape was impossible. No teleportation magic held any effect within this space.

Moreover, Ramola, skilled in frost magic, could unleash the full extent of her ice powers within her own domain.

“Your Majesty, this space was constructed by Duke Madal using her own demonic power. The conditions for battle are severely disadvantageous to us.” Meredith’s warning brought a crucial keyword to Yunajin’s mind.

“Heh heh, demonic power, you say?”

Qiaolun, too, relaxed his tense expression. He knew of Yunajin’s unique talent, a power that could suppress many races of Karkunda.

“Meredith, I’ve grown weary of fighting. Moreover, an unexpected third option emerged in our little game just now. Therefore, I’ve decided…”

“There’s no need for Your Grace to go to such lengths. This Demon Lord already understands your intentions.”

“Hm?”

Yunajin offered a knowing smile. She deliberately glanced at Qiaolun, her eyes brimming with a triumphant gleam.

“A compromise, yet also a battle. But you believe we cannot defeat you, and thus you’ve simply assumed, ‘We will remain here.’”

Ramola listened intently to the words of the Fifth Demon Lord of Demonkind, observing the shift from a frivolous demeanor to a serious one, from playful amusement to the gravitas of a true sovereign.

“Ramola, King of the Cold Night, daughter of the Second Demon Lord, kin of the Third Demon Lord, you will ultimately pay the price for your arrogance!”

Yunajin flung open her greatcoat, revealing a black one-handed sword hanging at her waist. The black blade flashed past Ramola’s hair, so swiftly it seemed merely a wisp of wind had rustled by.

A thunderous boom—

Behind her, an entire ice mountain had been cleanly severed at its middle.

A wicked smile curled at Ramola’s lips.

‘What will you do next, little Demon Lord? If this is all you have… it’s still not enough.’

“As for the third option, I don’t need to defeat you to dismantle your domain.”

Yunajin plunged “Twilight’s Elegy” forcefully into the ice beneath her feet. Immediately, the very ground seemed to groan under immense weight, trembling violently. This was not her deliberate intent; the sword itself possessed a terrifying mass, and only when it left Yunajin’s side were its true properties fully unleashed.

Simultaneously unleashed was the power of the Demon Lord.

Meredith frowned, a hint of apprehension on her face. Before the Demon Lord’s full awakening, their abilities were considered one of Demonkind’s crucial secrets, known only to high-ranking Demonkind officials of the Eight Demon Generals’ caliber. While it was acceptable for that human to know for now, Ramola, as a rogue member of Demonkind, was still an individual to be wary of, even if she and Meredith had remained friends until now.

‘Just like how she ended my offensive back then, silent and swift, like the eternal night that follows twilight.’

Qiaolun couldn’t sense a single trace of demonic power from Yunajin. Perhaps this was why all the magic in the world paled in comparison to her.

Silence—

“This aura… No, this is—!”

Ramola’s eyes widened at that moment. An expression named “shock” had not graced her face in a very long time.

The demonic power surging within her instantly calmed, becoming like stagnant water. Along with it, the frost world she had constructed with magic began to change.

The ice layers shattered, the sky fractured, and countless ice mountains disintegrated into shards, eventually scattering with the wind.

Ramola stood stunned on the original steps. She was a member of Demonkind who had witnessed countless wars, an Abyssal being who had defeated innumerable powerful foes. Her life was eternal, her power imperishable.

But just moments ago, the demonic power that had fallen silent had granted Ramola a sense of tranquility she hadn’t felt in ages.

“The Tranquil Demon Lord truly lives up to her name.”

‘Did… did we win?’

Qiaolun glanced at Ramola, who stood above, seemingly still lost in her astonishment.

A pink silhouette blocked his view.

“Well, well! Lord Hero, wasn’t I amazing?!”

“Absolutely wonderful, truly.” Like a cat that had successfully caught a mouse, now vying for its owner’s praise, Qiaolun couldn’t help but gently pat Yunajin’s small head as she leaned in.

‘Please stop calling me Lord Hero, it’s getting embarrassing.’

“Huh?”

“Eh?”

After Qiaolun’s broad palm stroked Yunajin’s head back and forth, both of them simultaneously noticed something amiss.

“Lord Hero, you ambushed me!”

“I didn’t, I’m sorry… Hey, wait, your weapon isn’t—”

“I’ll headbutt you with my horns!” Perhaps to hide her bashfulness, Yunajin, her face flushed, gently nudged Qiaolun with the two small black horns on her head.

“Ow!”

With a cry of pain, Qiaolun was sent flying by Yunajin’s monstrous strength, crashing into the wall.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

The Villain Caught Between Two Magical Girls

DramaFantasy

Read Now →
Not interested