Chapter 375: The Most Demonic Demon (2)

Everyone present froze. It was due to the overwhelming dark energy Kinessa gave off, and the weight carried by the title of Archduke.

In the Demon Realm, just reaching upper or top-ranked status guaranteed a prosperous life and a status comparable to royalty. Then what about those who were unbound by such ranks? What about those classified as beyond those classifications?

“Judging by your face, did you not enjoy it? I had fun.”

They saw themselves as the protagonists on the stage called the world. Their lives were made entirely of amusement. They took what they wanted, stole, and did anything they pleased without holding back. And yet there was no one who could stop them. They were like wild horses with no reins.

“

Ah

, now that I think about it, none of you can move in front of me once I show my power,.”

Kinessa, who had just recalled the level of insects, withdrew the force he had been releasing unconsciously. At the same time, rough breaths burst out from all directions.

“

Huff, huff.

”

“

Phew... haah

...”

The demons finally managed to let out the breath that had been blocked. In particular, most of the miners couldn't even raise their heads to face Kinessa, and the same was true for the Liberation Army made up of upper-ranked demons.

Why is the archduke here...?

Kazura’s trembling gaze couldn’t dare to look at Kinessa. He had glared boldly even at Draken, who was ranked higher than himself, but this was an archduke. One of the top five powers in the Demon Realm, where countless demons roamed. Just a single breath from him could turn someone like Kazura into dust.

However, the one who was in greatest shock at that moment was none other than Dex. Ira had called him Grandpa these past few days and warmed his heart with affection. He was hit with immense shock upon realizing that she was actually Archduke Kinessa.

The Demon of Deceit...

Archduke Kinessa was known to be slightly weaker in power compared to other archdukes, but that was only in comparison to other archdukes.

Even so, the reason he had survived in the Demon Realm where only the strong thrived was simple. The words used to describe him were usually cunning, deceitful, manipulative. He made up for his lacking strength through schemes and division. Thanks to that, the size of his faction was unmatched even if his strength wasn’t enough.

“Why... Then Ira is...”

“Ira?

Ah,

you mean this form?”

Kinessa’s body returned to the cute girl Dex had known.

She said with a soft and friendly smile, “After many tests, I found this form was the most effective at lowering others’ guard. It looks young and weak, and triggers a protective instinct.”

Returning to his original form, Kinessa grinned. “The reason I approached you so kindly despite you being lower than an insect was because you’ve worked in this mine the longest. I thought you would know a lot, and honestly, I was surprised at how much you knew. I thank you once again.”

“

Oh

...”

Dex collapsed from the overwhelming shock. No one helped him as he lay in the thick dust and dirt of the mine.

Only Kinessa smiled broadly, savoring his pain.

Yes, this is the feeling...

That thrilling ecstasy of deceiving someone, of watching them fall into despair. The twisted satisfaction of whispering sweet words and then striking from behind.

Kinessa had always enjoyed watching others suffer and fall into despair. To exaggerate a bit, it was only in moments like these that he truly felt alive.

“It was truly a great time.” Kinessa turned and looked down at Draken. “I went to this much trouble since the output had been gradually declining... but it turns out that one knew quite a bit.”

Draken shook his head in surprise. “W-what do you mean... That’s absurd.”

“Stop acting. Are you trying to make a fool of me again?”

“I-I don’t know what that scum said, but I swear I’m innocent... I swear on my soul.”

“

Hmm

. Your soul,

huh

... Well, if you insist that much, I’ll believe you.”

Draken said in a slightly trembling tone, “Archduke...”

“However.”

Kinessa suddenly grabbed Draken’s horn and snapped it in half.

“N-no!”

Horns were storage for dark magic in demons. The magic contained in Draken’s horn burst out in all directions. The stray energy sought a new master and was drawn to the most powerful demon present. That was Kinessa.

“Regardless of whether I believe you, the output dropped, so someone has to take responsibility.”

“I-I’m sorry. It won’t happen again...”

“I know that it won’t happen again,” Kinessa said in a gentle tone as he snapped his fingers.

Draken’s body exploded, and blood and flesh scattered everywhere. Amazingly, not even a speck landed on Kinessa’s head or clothes.

“How can someone already dead do something like that again?”

Kinessa smiled and turned away with his hands behind his back. He had just decapitated an upper-ranked demon simply because production had decreased. From now on, the miners here would work like mad to avoid death.

Now then, what’s left is...

The Liberation Army.

Kinessa smiled as he looked at the Liberation Army demons who, though they tried not to show it, were trembling.

“Do you want to live?”

There was no reply, but more than half of the six demons flinched for a brief moment.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Of course they would.

Kinessa then thought of a fun little game. He planned to split them into two sides, make them fight, and spare only the winners.

“I’ll give you a special chance to survive...”

At that moment, a new figure appeared on the stage where only the actor named Kinessa had been performing.

“Are you alright?”

Annoyed by that fact, Kinessa instantly furrowed his brow and looked to the side.

“Can you stand up?”

What came into view was Dex, still collapsed on the ground. And beside him, a weak demon who was helping him up and checking on him.

“

Hah?

”

Letting out a soft laugh, Kinessa slowly clapped. As he looked around to encourage a reaction, the miners cluelessly joined in the applause.

“Everyone clap. What a heartwarming scene this is.”

Kinessa slowly walked over to Dex, smiling in an exaggerated way. It was like a CEO complimenting an employee who had just made a mistake in front of them.

“A rare young man in the Demon Realm. Helping others—exactly the kind of talent the Liberation Army looks for, no?”

Kazura swallowed hard under the Archduke’s direct gaze.

“No answer? Well, I guess you weren't what the Liberation Army was looking for after all.” Kinessa slightly bent down and looked down at Dex and the demon supporting him. “This is touching. It should be nice to see, and yet... why does it disgust me so much?”

Kinessa’s tone suddenly changed like an actor discarding a boring script. His voice turned dull and dry.

“A demon should act like a demon. Don’t you seem more like one of those sickening celestial bastards the way you’re behaving right now?”

“You’re not hurt, are you? Take my hand and try to stand up.”

Kinessa slowly shook his head when he was completely ignored. He tried to think when the last time was that he was treated this way. After thinking for a while, he nodded.

Twice.

He had experienced this exactly twice in his life. From the Archduke of the West and the Demon King Angol Moa. This was the first time since he had received their contempt-filled stares.

“Then I suppose you’ll be the third... no, the first.”

Those two had looked down on her, but they weren’t opponents he could lash out at. In other words, he felt awful, but he couldn’t tear them apart.

However, this was different. The one before him was not an archduke, and certainly not a Demon King. In short, it was someone with no power to defy her.

This is actually better.

See didn’t know why, but something about this pathetic demon reminded him of the two demons who had once looked down on her. Perhaps if he tore this one apart, it would ease his stress.

Kinessa slowly reached out his hand. It was to make him pay for the crime of disrespect, right in front of the crowd.

“

Hm?

”

Then his hand, which had been reaching toward the back of the weak demon’s head, suddenly stopped. The target hadn’t done anything. It was simply that Kinessa himself had stopped.

Why...?

The problem was, even he didn’t know why.

Why did I stop?

He hadn’t even planned to do anything grand. He had only meant to grab the hair of that worthless scum with no trace of dark magic and slowly torment him before killing him in the most brutal way.

Humans step on crawling ants multiple times a day, but they often didn't even realize they killed one. It was the same for Kinessa. Tearing apart a few demons was as natural to him as breathing.

He furrowed his brows after a brief moment of confusion. Rather than trying to understand the situation, he felt irritation rising from not getting what he wanted.

How dare he.

Kinessa reached out his hand again. This time he extended it all the way without stopping. But again, he failed. The reason was different this time. It wasn’t because he stopped himself, but because the opponent had stopped him. And the weak demon had done so with just a single look.

The weak demon turned his head and looked at Kinessa with indifferent eyes. “Your turn is after this, so wait.”

What was this feeling? He should be angry. He should be unleashing the fury boiling inside. Yet he found himself watching his hand lowering on its own.

Why?

Again, he couldn’t find the reason. Why? For what? Why was he so shaken by the words of such a weak demon? Kinessa couldn’t understand his own emotions and that only confused him more. Taken aback, he instinctively erupted with dark magic.

“

Kugh!

”

“

Ku

...

eup

.”

Groans broke out from the demons nearby, particularly from the upper-ranked Liberation Army demons nearby as they bled from their eyes, ears, and noses. Even then, the weak demon helped Dex up.

He gently brushed the dust off Dex’s body and said, “From what I’ve seen so far, it seems you were tricked. I hope you’re able to move past it.”

“I-I’m fine, but... you...”

Dex’s gaze filled with fear looked past the young man’s shoulder. He imagined the one he had just thought of as a cute granddaughter tearing apart the young man who had just helped him.

The young man replied with a gentle smile that calmed the heart, “I’ll be fine.”

With that, Dex’s worries melted away as if it were nothing.

What is this...

There was no intense or cruel dark energy coming from his body. It was a strange aura he had never felt before. However, that aura carried a subtle power that made one want to rely on the young man before him.

“So please, go head back inside.”

With a careful and gentle touch, the young man pushed Dex behind him. Then he slowly turned to face Kinessa. Kinessa might have been upset, but so was he.

I’m in a really bad mood.

Dex was clearly an old man no matter who looked at him. His hair and beard were streaked with gray, and his hands were full of calluses from a lifetime of labor.

And yet he mocks someone like that and grins while watching them fall into despair...

What a literal bastard.

The weak demon young man—no, Kai—put on a stern face and scolded Kinessa, “How on earth were you raised... Do you not have parents, you jerk?”

Kinessa’s gaze trembled at the first verbal assault he had ever experienced in his life.