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Walter was deeply engrossed in organizing documents once again today. He turned his head toward Bernard, who was quietly assisting him next to the Hero.

“Bernard, doesn’t this seem a bit odd?”

“What do you mean? I don’t really get these administrative papers myself.”

“No, it concerns you too. I’m talking about the attackers that ambushed you. Even Jenis Harker ordered a special interrogation, yet nothing has come up.”

“If we found no useful information even under the Great Sage’s orders, I’d say those Magic Tower folks must be slacking off.”

“Right. It’s truly bizarre. How could they cast such a powerful mind-eroding spell? Mind control magic usually leaves traces behind. We should have sensed something amiss at the scene. It seemed like a strange series of events, almost like the entire tavern was hit by the spell at once.”

“Even the Succubus Queen couldn’t pull off something like that. Silently casting mind control on the Hero and not being noticed? That’s impossible.”

“Well, that’s true. It certainly is beyond what even the Succubus Queen could manage. To do such a thing right in front of me without being caught would require the strength of the Demon King…”

Walter paused for a moment, gradually adopting a rigid expression as he took off his glasses.

“Who else was present at that scene besides us?”

“There was that lady. The bartender, who’s now working as a coachwoman.”

“Have we ever received any information about the Demon King’s gender?”

“As far as I know, we haven’t. They don’t really show up in plain sight, so there are countless mysteries surrounding them. Almost no one knows who the Demon King’s parents are besides our associates.”

“W-what is that woman doing now, anyway?”

“The last time I saw her, she was working in the Southern Region with her job. Why do you ask? Is there something wrong with that…”

Walter slammed his hand on the desk and stood up. The Hero’s already pale face turned even whiter with shock and horror.

“Bernard, what have we been missing all this time?”

And at the same moment, in Baron Harriet’s Territory…

The reason the concealed mind control spell placed on the Hero was undone was that the Demon King no longer had the strength to maintain it. Violet Moriarty, having neatly killed Arthur Harker, revealed herself before the two Grand Mages and could no longer afford to expend mana on a mind control spell. The world’s most powerful mage was glaring at her with fiery, furious eyes, ready for battle.

Naturally, the magic that was eroding Jeongjae and Jenis was also lifted, allowing Jeongjae to recall all the unmistakable signs of intrusion he had previously overlooked.

He was horrified by the fact that he hadn’t noticed he had been caught up in such a subtle and powerful spell. However, he couldn’t afford just to be horrified; right now, there was the woman before him who had killed his only ally in the South, Count Harker, with whom he could open his heart.

No, even before killing Arthur Harker, the source of all this turmoil was standing right before him with a smile—the Demon King, who commanded this entire war.

In stark contrast to her humble appearance when disguised as a normal person, her features were now razor-sharp and captivating. Her gaze was as fierce as a pouncing tiger, and her smile could charm even the heart of the oldest monk.

Dressed in a neat uniform that seemed fit for a Kaiser, she exuded the dignity of a ruler governing over 60% of the world, while her swaying tail and spread wings served as a reminder of the kind of race she belonged to.

The Demon King had no thoughts of playing petty tricks in this confrontation. They both knew it: in this fight, charms and enthrallment would have no effect. What lay ahead was a clash of strength against strength, power against power, and charisma against charisma.

Regaining his composure just in time, Jeongjae extended a hand toward Jenis, speaking in a heavy voice.

“Sit down, Jenis. You’re not a match for this opponent right now.”

“But Professor, my father…”

“Count Harker has passed away. And I have no intention of letting that young lady go free after committing such acts, whether it be you or me.”

“Park Jeongjae. Baron Harriet, Grand Mage, a gift from another world.”

The Demon King raised both hands, summoning dark magic circles and glaring at Jeongjae.

“This is going to be a tough fight.”

And at the same time, both sides shot magical beams toward each other.

The two star-like glimmers shot from Jeongjae’s side merged mid-air, forming one massive magical beam, while the two black beams the Demon King unleashed also merged, colliding directly with Jeongjae’s magic.

Both sides held an equal stance. The Demon King and the Grand Mage struggled against each other, pouring their mana into the conflicting magic, but neither gained the upper hand as a few seconds passed.

The Demon King was strong—stronger than any opponent Jeongjae had ever faced. While it was somewhat expected, it was still quite a shock for Jeongjae. He held a sliver of hope that the Demon King hadn’t shown herself until now because her personal combat prowess wasn’t all that great.

Realizing that she couldn’t suppress Jeongjae with pure mana, the Demon King withdrew her magic, dodging Jeongjae’s beam.

Seeing the Demon King approaching for close combat, Jeongjae hastily withdrew his ray spell and drew forth his shield’s magic circle. The Demon King’s fist slammed heavily into Jeongjae’s mana shield. With a single blow, Jeongjae’s defense crumbled, but he narrowly dodged the subsequent strike from the Demon King by rolling to the side.

“Physical enhancement, speed increase, automatic counter…”

In the brief moment of respite, Jeongjae cast multiple enhancement spells upon himself. His physical capabilities were close to that of an ordinary person, but his combat skills were well-honed, so he preferred to keep enemies at a distance, preventing them from advancing. Nonetheless, facing such a powerful foe, he had to prepare himself for close combat.

Just as Jeongjae completed all his spells, the Demon King leaped toward him once more, bringing her fist down.

“Counterattack activated!”

With Jeongjae’s shout, the defensive magic circle shattered, and the shock of his attack was fired back at the Demon King. Jeongjae was pushed back a bit too, unable to absorb part of the impact, but he experienced little pain because his magic robe absorbed most of the blow.

The Demon King also seemed a bit surprised to be knocked back, but she quickly regained her balance, using her wings to stabilize herself as she landed. Jeongjae didn’t miss the rare opportunity to create distance. A magic circle of flames in both hands shot out lightning toward the Demon King. The Demon King watched the two bolts of lightning fly toward her, cracking a slight smile.

“Damn…”

Seeing the Demon King snatch her lightning in mid-air, transforming it into a massive black thunderbolt, an involuntary curse escaped Jeongjae’s lips. The Grand Mage tried to construct a barrier to block the Demon King’s incoming attack, but the hastily crafted defensive magic circle was far too weak to withstand Violet’s powerful dark bolt.

In the moment the defensive magic circle shattered, Jeongjae managed to throw himself aside, using his enhanced physical abilities to save his life, wiping the sweat from his brow in relief.

The Demon King, however, appeared a bit fatigued, sweating on her forehead, as if the last magic had drained her a little.

“I expected it wouldn’t be easy. In a contest of mana, I wouldn’t be a match for you.”

‘Aren’t I more than a match?’ was what he wanted to retort, but he held his tongue, fearing it would come off as some kind of joke. Right in the middle of the road lay the corpse of Count Harker, still bereaved of its heart.

Faced with his body, he didn’t wish to exchange jokes with the one who killed him. Silently, Jeongjae plotted to take down the Demon King while she struggled.

“The wind is the flow of air. Right now, even that air follows my command.”

“Damn it.”

The Demon King took a small step back, wrapping her body in her wings as she regarded the massive magic circle Jeongjae had created. It was clear she was somewhat intimidated by the sheer scale of the powerful magic.

“Storm, envelop my enemies!”

A small whirlpool formed around the Demon King, enclosing her within the flow of wind. The tornado greedily devoured debris and grew larger, with the swallowed items becoming barriers that fiercely struck the Demon King.

Caught off guard by the storm magic, the Demon King could do nothing but defend as she cocooned herself with her wings. While Jeongjae focused all his strength on trapping the Demon King in the wind, he intended to deliver a blow at the heart of the storm, but just then, Violet, who had been silently waiting, spread her wings, launching her assault in an attempt to seize control of the storm magic.

“Don’t underestimate me! No matter how strong you are, I won’t let you claim my magic twice!”

Jeongjae felt the tug-of-war for control of mana begin as he tightened his muscles, enhancing his mana to maintain the storm magic. The Demon King, trapped within the tornado, reached out desperately, trying to break free.

“Control isn’t even necessary! What I need is only—”

At that moment, the Demon King forcefully intervened, and Jeongjae’s magic wavered, causing the Grand Mage to get swept into the tornado.

Jeongjae strained to keep his feet on the ground but was gradually pulled towards her as the Demon King’s gravitational magic intensified.

“Just you being pulled this way means…”

The Demon King grabbed Jeongjae’s shoulders with both hands. As he panicked and kicked back against the tumult, the Demon King’s strength thwarted him, twisting the tornado into a bizarre shape. No matter how enhanced his physical abilities were, he couldn’t compare to the Demon King in close quarters. The situation was unfavorable.

While Jeongjae struggled to maintain control over the storm, reciting multiple spells simultaneously to boost his defense, the tornado shrank and distorted alarmingly, resembling an elongated churros.

Then the storm erupted, propelling both of them into the sky like a spring.

“If it’s a battle in the sky, I shall not lose to you.”

The Demon King spread her wings wide. Although he held onto her out of fear of an attack if they fell, the situation was equally disadvantageous for Jeongjae.

The power of the storm had become so fierce that they soared high enough that the territory was far from view.

The air grew chilly, becoming a temperature impossible to withstand without a robe. No, even with a robe, it was an altitude that ordinarily wouldn’t be sustainable. Suddenly, an outrageous thought crossed Jeongjae’s mind.

At this height, perhaps it could be done. Maybe it might be possible. Let’s think this through. There was no doubt in front of him, the being was truly the Demon King. There’s no solid proof, but the atmosphere and abilities alone made that fact entirely unquestionable.

If a mighty explosion were to occur at this height. And if there were a magical device to control that explosion, ensuring it wouldn’t reach the ground but only send its energy skyward.

If this being could be erased from the world forever. Then surely, all wars would end, if not immediately, then it wouldn’t be difficult for Walter to reorganize the fractured Demon King’s Army, taking advantage of the vacuum left by the Demon King.

His heart raced. The magical concepts of concentrating 150 megatons of energy in a limited space, ensuring the aftermath of the explosion wouldn’t affect anyone on the ground, flashed rapidly through his mind, including Jenis and everyone else.

Is it possible? Can this truly be done?

In terms of mana, the brilliant brain of the world’s most talented Grand Mage completed its calculations. That spell is plausible. And it could definitively erase both beings in the sky at once. If he laid down powerful magic fields all around and detonated them, he could channel the force of the explosion directly into the sky. The blast would shake the ground and disrupt the flow of air, yet the chances of innocent bystanders being caught in it would be slim to none.

If it’s possible, then what am I hesitating for?

“Magical barrier.”

Jeongjae muttered, unable to calm his trembling body. The Demon King instantly understood that he wasn’t trembling from the intense cold, wearing a grave expression.

“A barrier everywhere except the top… You, what in the world do you think—”

“Now, I shall become the destroyer of worlds!”

A giant magic circle, never seen before, enveloped both beings. Thousands of magic circles intertwined, forming a colossal sphere, and an odd geometric shape, not of this dimension, enveloped that sphere, amplifying its power.

The Demon King appeared bewildered, seemingly failing to recognize the identity of the magic circles surrounding her. With both hands gripping the Demon King tightly, Jeongjae recited the last command for the magic to activate.

“Manhattan.”

 

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