Inside the dark castle, a shadow slipped silently from one hallway to the next. It moved without a sound, almost like it wasn't even real. It crept through walls, pillars, and empty corridors, deeper and deeper into the heart of the fifth demon king's castle.
It was Xulgorath—the sixth demon king.
He was using his unique skill, Shadow Steps, allowing him to move through shadows without being seen or sensed. It made him like a ghost, impossible to track.
Not that anyone was watching. The entire castle… was dead quiet.
Every guard, servant, or creature that should've been there was missing.
Or rather—dead.
"Just what happened here?" Xulgorath whispered to himself as he glided forward. "Who killed everyone… and so fast?"
As he neared the throne room, he heard a loud, crashing sound—like mountains smashing together, or boulders falling from the sky.
Boom. Boom.
Each sound made the stone beneath his feet shake slightly.
Carefully, Xulgorath slipped into the throne room using his skill, keeping low and hidden behind a pillar. When he peeked out—
His eyes flew wide open in shock.
The noise was from Scarlett's fists, slamming again and again into Noir's body, breaking him apart like he was made of clay. Flesh, blood, and broken pieces of the floor were scattered all around. But every time she smashed him, his body regenerated, healing itself instantly.
Still, she didn't stop. Her punches were fast, powerful, and unending.
Sitting to the side were Aoto and Chiyoko, relaxed and chatting while sitting on smaller thrones meant for subordinates. They didn't even seem bothered by the destruction around them.
"Noir... defeated?" Xulgorath whispered, stunned. "Am I dreaming…?"
He stayed completely hidden, not daring to make a sound. His demon heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the scene.
"So that's Scarlett Nova…" he murmured, his voice dry. "She's even more beautiful than the rumors say. And I… I clearly underestimated her."
As a demon king himself, he knew just how powerful someone like Noir was. Yet here he was—being beaten like a helpless child. Scarlett's strength was far beyond what Xulgorath had imagined.
But even in his shock… he smiled.
"A human… no, a being that strong… could she have broken the Creator's will?" he wondered silently.
Curious, he raised one hand and used an appraisal spell to check her status.
Nothing happened.
As expected—the spell failed instantly.
"I knew it…" he muttered with a small laugh. "If it had worked, I'd be more surprised."
He then prepared to try something stronger—his unique skill: Analyzer.
Xulgorath opened his eyes wide and stared at Scarlett with intense focus. He pushed all of his energy into it.
But then—
"Gah!" He almost collapsed, stumbling forward and nearly exposing himself. After taking a few deep breaths, he managed to steady his body.
"Damn… why is her resistance so high?" he whispered, wiping sweat from his brow.
He clenched his fists and looked at Scarlett again, determination burning in his eyes.
"I'm not giving up. She's the last hope…"
Ding!
He triggered the skill again. This time, he pushed it even further. He poured in his mana, and even used a bit of his own life force. His entire body shook with the strain.
"Come on… come on! Just show me something!" he screamed in his mind. His right eye burned with pain, begging to shut, but he forced it open.
Blood dripped from his eyes. The veins bulged. His eyeballs felt like they were about to burst.
And then—finally—something appeared.
A status screen.
But it was not normal. What he saw wasn't what Scarlett herself would have seen.
Skills:
Ultimate Skill: ???
Ultimate Skill: ???
Ultimate Skill: ???
Ultimate Skill: ???
Unique Skill: Ultimate Regeneration
Unique Skill: Infinite Soul Regeneration
Rare Skill: Bloodlust
Spear Mastery Lv.1
Sword Mastery Lv.3
Hand-to-Hand Combat Lv.Max
Archery Lv.1
...
Pa!
Xulgorath's eyes burst.
Blood sprayed out like a fountain.
He dropped down and curled behind the pillar, holding himself tightly, trying not to scream. Not because of the pain—his body had already started to regenerate—but because of what he had just seen.
His entire body trembled.
Four ultimate skills.
He had only seen the screen for a split second, but it was enough to burn it into his mind.
"Four ultimate skills?" he whispered in disbelief. "How… How is that even possible?"
He almost wanted to shout and alert the whole world—but he kept it in.
His thoughts were spinning. "Her status screen was blue. That means she hasn't broken the Creator's Will. But then how? How can she have this kind of power? Am I going insane?"
His heart raced so fast, it felt like it might explode.
He took a deep breath. Then another. Slowly, he calmed himself down. He stood up straight, a wide grin forming on his face.
"No matter what she is… If I can get even a single piece of her, even one hair strand, I could create a being with four ultimate skills. Actually prime version her."
He chuckled quietly to himself, not taking any action.
"Let's just wait and observe for now. I can't take risks. I'll make my move only when I'm sure… when I can win without fail."
----------------
Scarlett threw another heavy punch into Noir's stomach, and this time, it left a deep hole through his abdomen.
"Damn it! Someone with regeneration is so annoying to kill!" she growled, frustrated. "Just die already!" she shouted, slamming her fist into him again.
She couldn't use her nuclear magic because Aoto and Chiyoko were still nearby. And this kind of hand-to-hand beating was taking way too long.
Each time Scarlett landed a blow, Noir's body would fix itself. His muscles, his bones, even his heart—everything regenerated again and again. It was like trying to kill something that refused to stay dead.
Noir, still being punched around, was lost in his thoughts.
"I'm forgetting something… but what is it? It's right there... so close, but I just can't remember!"
His head throbbed as he tried harder. He couldn't remember his offensive unique skills no matter how much he tried. It was like that part of his mind had been erased.
But then, something else came to him. Something that could save him.
His eyes widened as a spark of hope lit up inside him. "Yes! That thing… I still have it!"
Without wasting a second, Noir began crawling—dragging his half-broken body slowly toward his throne.
"Haha! The great demon king is crawling like a baby!" Aoto shouted from behind, mocking him.
"Where do you think you're going?" Scarlett asked, smirking as she lifted her leg and kicked him hard, sending him tumbling forward.
But instead of stopping him, the kick actually pushed him closer to his throne.
Still crawling, Noir moved with all the strength he had left. Everyone else was laughing, not taking him seriously anymore.
But then, Scarlett noticed something strange. Noir was reaching behind the throne with his hand.
Her smile faded. "What are you doing back there? Trying something sneaky?"
Before he could grab whatever it was, she kicked him again—this time sending him flying across the room and crashing into the back wall.
BAM!
The sound echoed loudly through the hall.
But Noir didn't groan in pain. Instead… he started laughing.
"Too late!" he shouted, holding up something in his hand—a small, round, folded paper that looked plain and harmless.
But it wasn't.
It was something only Noir and a few others knew about.
A secret contract given to him by the third demon king, Asmodeus.
Back when Noir was still rising in power, Asmodeus had given him that paper with a strange offer:
"When you'll bs beaten to death, just tear this. I'll land one punch on your enemy."
It was given to him as a joke… even as an insult. But deep down, he'd kept it as motivation—to become strong enough that he'd never need anyone's help.
And now, when everything was falling apart… it was his last chance.
"I can't believe this insult might actually save me!" Noir laughed.
Then, without a second thought—
Rip!
He tore the paper in half.
Crumble...
Suddenly, the castle began shaking. The ground trembled. The walls cracked. Stones fell from the ceiling.
The sky outside turned black. Dark clouds formed instantly, and bolts of lightning flashed across them.
It all happened so fast, even Xulgorath—who was hiding—stared in shock.
Aoto and Chiyoko jumped from their seats and rushed to the window.
Their hearts pounded.
"What's happening?" Chiyoko said, a chill running down his spine. "What was in that paper?"
"I don't know… but it feels like… like a true demon king is descending!" Aoto replied, his voice shaking.
Then—
Swirl...
A black vortex formed in the thorn room. Like a spinning hole of darkness, sucking the surroundings around it.
Noir stood up slowly, stretching his body. The pain was gone now. He cracked his neck and looked at the vortex.
"This is my chance," he said under his breath. "I need to get out of here… now."
"Teleport!" Noir whispered, and with the little mana he had left, he disappeared from the room in a flash of light. He reappeared somewhere far away—maybe a few hundred kilometers—barely standing on his feet, but alive.
Back in the castle, only Scarlett, Aoto, and Chiyoko were left.
The swirling black vortex above the castle began to change. It started to look clearer—more like a glowing portal than a storm.
Then, from the other side of the portal, three figures slowly came into view.
The first figure to step out was the smallest—a child, around ten years old, with black hair and black eyes. He had a plain, average-looking face.
But behind her blindfold, Scarlett's eyes widened in shock as she saw the other two standing behind the boy.
The first one was tall, with white hair showing signs of old age. His sharp eyes were full of malice and cruelty, and he wore a white scientist's coat.
The second one was shorter and round, with a chubby body and a creepy-looking face. He had the face of an old pervert and wore the same white scientist's uniform.
They were none other than Dr. Raki and Dr. Magi.
And the boy—wasn't really a boy. He was the third demon king, Asmodeus, possessing the body of a child.
Asmodeus slowly walked out of the portal while the two scientists stayed behind with smirks on their faces, clearly enjoying the moment.
He looked around for just a second and instantly understood what had happened.
"Ohh… so this is the situation," Asmodeus said to himself, like it was nothing special.
Then his eyes turned directly to Scarlett.
A wide, twisted grin appeared on his face.
"It seems this is our first time meeting, Subject 'Demonic Angel,'" he said with a casual tone.
Snap!
That one sentence was enough to make Scarlett lose all control.
"ASMODEUS, YOU MOTHERFUCKERRRRRRR!" she roared, her voice shaking the air, her rage bursting like an explosion.
She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. She was ready to destroy him on the spot. Her feet moved forward without a second thought.
But before she could even take her next step—
Wooshhh...
Asmodeus suddenly appeared right in front of her.
He had moved so fast that even Scarlett, with all her speed, didn't see it happen.
He looked at her calmly, his face still wearing that same annoying grin.
"Cosmic Punch," he said softly.
There was no sound. No shockwave. No light.
Nothing at all.
And in the very next moment…
Scarlett was gone.
She didn't feel pain.
She didn't even have time to react.
One second she was in front of Asmodeus—
The next, she was floating somewhere deep in outer space.
Outside the galaxy itself.