DEB 131

The Demon Lord of Wrath stepped closer to Huiyun, thrilled.

—Yes. Since I’ve awakened, it’s time for you to rise as well! I always thought it strange. Ten thousand years. It’s been ten thousand years since the two lords perished, and yet no word of their return, no sign of the seal breaking… and then I suddenly opened my eyes. But if you’re back, then it all makes sense. It was you who returned and tipped the scale of balance!

His voice rose in a shout, and his eyes flared wide. 

The faint smirk lingering at his lips burned away, replaced by a vengeful grimace.

—I have not forgotten the day of my disgraceful defeat.

A murderous gleam danced in his eyes.

“…Urgh.”

Even under their master’s protection, the disciples flinched at the intense killing intent emanating from the Lord. 

The sheer savagery of it triggered an instinctual fear, as though the aura might devour them whole.

Realizing they’d succumbed to fear, the disciples’ faces turned red with shame. 

As if they had been dishonored, they clenched their fists, but that was all they could do. 

Thanks to Yasha’s power shielding them, they were in a state where they could stand and fight if they simply focused their minds. 

Yet not a single one stepped forward.

Because their master had clearly returned, if only temporarily. 

And unless he gave his permission, they could not move.

“…Master Yasha.”

—Yes. That name! I carved it into my blood, Guardian! I may be weaker than I once was, but so are you. Yet unlike you, I am not alone. The Demon God walks with me. So come, let’s settle this ancient debt!

The Demon Lord laughed and stepped even closer.

Fwoooosh!

A cursed black flame—tainted with demonic energy—blazed up with every step he took, scorching the ground. 

The holy domain cast by Zenith and Verita sizzled under the heat. 

Yet despite the mounting pressure, the disciples’ eyes remained fixed on Huiyun.

Their gazes were filled with respect, longing, and even a trace of fear.

Receiving that reverent awe from his disciples, Huiyun met the gaze of the Demon Lord and let out a quiet breath.

“You talk too much.”

—Still as arrogant as eve—

“I don’t recall giving you permission to speak.” 

“…”

His calm voice fell like a cold blade, and the world grew deathly silent. 

Even the wind, the faint stirrings of life, and the sound of breath vanished. 

Though the target was the Demon Lord, it was Yasha’s disciples who stiffened even further and held their breath.

Heavy silence descend in the clearings. 

But it was familiar, peaceful in a way.

When Huiyun cut him off mid-sentence, it was as if the Demon Lord’s tongue had been severed. 

The flustered Lord stood frozen as Huiyun calmly raised his hand.

—Guhak!

As if struck by an invisible force, the Demon Lord flew backward and crashed into a tree. 

It was a sudden, irresistible attack that gave him no chance to react.

He was hurled hundreds of meters through the air before slamming into the ancient tree, which creaked and toppled from the impact. 

Staggering as he rose, it was clear he’d taken real damage.

The once-composed face of the Lord twisted in fury.

—How… How have you recovered this much power already?!

“Still lacking in manner, I see.

“I said I never gave you permission to speak.”

As Huiyun flicked his fingers, the Lord was slammed face-first into the ground. 

Then, as if a cruel giant were toying with him, he was flung left, then smashed into a rock to the right, then hurled thousands of meters into the air before crashing down with a thunderous roar, vomiting blood.

He clutched his broken arm, stood on a twisted ankle, his eyes filled with terror and disbelief.

—Th-this… This can’t be happening! How is your power still intact?!

It was the cry of someone faced with an impossible truth.

And it made sense. 

The Demon Lord had assumed Yasha had only just resurrected, still hiding from the Demon Realm’s gaze, yet to recover his full power.

As he himself had done.

Technically, it wasn’t wrong. 

Huiyun hadn’t regained his prime. 

He had been living quietly, evading the Realm’s eyes. 

But what the Demon Lord had failed to consider was—

What kind of power had once stood in their way during the era of the Heavenly Demon War?

Drunk on the thrill of rebirth and his first emergence into the world, the Lord had forgotten the crushing defeat he once suffered. 

He foolishly believed this time would be different.

Huiyun, sensing the power the System had restored still coiled within his heart, fixed his gaze on the Demon Lord and the black flames roiling behind him.

There was a reason the Demon Lord had dared to attack.

Even in his weakened, imperfect state, he believed he could win, because of those flames.

So, it wasn’t nonsense. 

The Demon God was with him.

The Lord hadn’t gone mad. 

He might’ve guessed Yasha was weakened, but surely still approached with some caution. 

It was the flame that burned that caution away.

That dark fire—so pure and intense it seemed to be the very essence of demonic energy—was clearly the creation of a being even higher than a Demon Lord.

And in the Demon Realm, only one such being existed.

The Demon God.

So he hadn’t lied.

Still, Huiyun had gained information.

Someone in the Demon Realm had been blinded by arrogance and claimed the mantle of the Demon God. 

The demons had likely split into factions. 

And the Demon God had chosen to remain behind, backing those who served him, including this Lord of Wrath and, likely, several others.

Now Huiyun had a clearer picture of the Realm’s situation. 

It was only fair to return the favor.

—Fine! No matter! Let’s fight!

The Demon Lord charged, eyes ablaze. 

Hundreds of fireballs formed in an instant, all aimed at Huiyun.

Huiyun forced his battered body to hold together and confronted the incoming assault with the power of Domination.

There was no need for commands.

The released power of Domination took form—pure white and dragon-shaped—and opened its mouth at the incoming flames. 

An invisible dragon fear rippled across the battlefield, and the fireballs froze in mid-air.

The Lord’s pupils trembled.

Huiyun saw his panic and spoke flatly.

“You’re not the only one favored by Divinity.”

—Ugh…

“I too walk with the Gods. As myself.”

A fate both cruel and noble, the path of a Guardian.

His life bore the marks of divine providence, fickle kindness, and the distant atonement of a god who could not interfere freely due to the need for balance.

Thud.

The Demon Lord’s knees finally touched the ground, atop the faded remains of the summoning circle. 

Once a monstrous threat, he now seemed no more than a feeble beast. 

He hadn’t grown smaller, rather, the figure standing before him was far too great to comprehend.

Yes.

So great, that even the presence or absence of one soul could send the balance into chaos.

For his soul bore such tremendous weight.

Behind him, the disciples held their breath as they finally recalled the true might of their master, the strength they had forgotten.

Huiyun glanced at them briefly and took a deep breath.

He was reaching his limit.

Using the full power of Domination in an unprepared body, the recoil was already beginning to creep in.

He had to finish this before it showed.

The draconic form of Domination, now more complete than ever, surged at Huiyun’s will.

It grew in size, its aura even more terrifying than the Demon Lord’s. 

Huiyun faced his petrified opponent and whispered coldly.

“Your long slumber made you blind. A foolish choice. If my death brought an end to the war, then you should’ve known, my soul alone equals to at least four of your so-called “Demon Lords” combined. So…”

The now fully-formed dragon spirit lunged.

Its massive jaws opened and swallowed the despairing Demon Lord of Wrath.

Crunch. Squish.

The grotesque blend of crushing bone and tearing flesh echoed in Huiyun’s ears as he spoke his final words.

“Next time, bring three or four of you. You’ll need it to preserve your pride as a ‘Demon Lord.’”