2026-05-22 18:27:42Immediately as they opened the large door to the Demon Lord's throne room, a strong gush of wind carrying an intense concentration of dark energy melted the lining of their lungs like acid.
"So you really dared…?" a deep voice echoed from within. It suddenly lunged forward, wielding a long heavy sword in hand, covered in heavy dark armor. "Raphael, move, quick!" Kaito screamed, but it was too late. Before he could cast his skill, the Demon Lord had already struck, cutting cleanly through Raphael's S-rank shield. "You really thought he could stop me with that half ass shield…?" The demon lord said with a smug look on his face. Raphael, the A-rank tank who had stood like a wall for the past twenty years, didn't even have time to show his strength. The impact was intense, like a car crash. His body was thrown across the hall, slamming hard against an iron pillar. "He's dead... Raphael is dead!" Kelvin shook. "I don't want to die, I don't want to die!" His fragile bravery cracked, and he ran first for the door, only to be followed by a spike of shadows erupting from the floor directly beneath him, skewering cleanly through his stomach. "Void Magic: Vortex of Flames." Immediately, a wide range of flames erupted above them, leaving little time to avoid them. Two more students failed to react fast enough, only to be burned to a crisp by the intense flames. The once mighty 12 heroes who had pushed back the Demon Lord's army had now been reduced to a mere 8, with the others either injured or shaken. "Yuna, now!" Kaito coughed, wiping blood from his eyes. Yuna leaped high into the air, an intense cold pulse gathering around her. Her katana glowed with frost, ice crystals forming around it as she lunged at him. But the Demon Lord was faster. A backhand blow caught her midair, shattering her ribs and sending her spiraling into a broken pillar. She hit the stone hard, blacking out instantly. Her breathing slowed as blood dripped down her face. "Miss Mia, quick! Get to Yuna!" Kaito ordered, but she was failing too, having to put up magic barriers, bluffs, and heal the group over and over. The mental strain was too much for her. Mia was on her knees, blood leaking from her nose and ears, her eyes vacant as she stared at the carnage. They were losing. It was somewhat expected, but not like this. This was a massacre. "Step back!" Kaito's voice was a jagged rasp. He was the only one left standing between the Demon Lord and the survivors. He unleashed his only skill, Matter Manipulation, separating the moisture in the air and creating a tight vacuum of pure hydrogen. "Fireball…" He struck his heavy sword against the obsidian floor, creating an explosion so strong that it shattered most of the advanced barriers Mia had maintained. The explosion shook the castle to its foundation, destroying the powerful SS-class full armor of the Demon Lord. Kaito didn't stop. He dragged his broken body through the intense heat of his own blast to deliver a precise strike through the Demon Lord's heart with his sword, using the last of his mana to vibrate the steel at a frequency that shattered it into dust and pure mana. With the destruction of the Demon Lord came a heavy mana explosion from his heart outward, sending everything and everyone flying meters away. Kaito collapsed, his knees hitting the blood-stained floor. He was a wreck. His armor was in complete ruin, his left arm broken, blood dripping down his face. Then he turned, his body shaking heavily, his eyes wandering through the rubble in worry, searching for his surviving comrades. Sato stood there, his limbs barely able to bear his own weight. Clutching beside him were two other classmates, their faces also covered in dried blood and sulfur stains. "We... we did it," Kaito wheezed, a faint bloody smile on his lips. "We survived." He reached out a hand toward them. "Help me up... we need to get Yuna and Mia to the infirmary..." Suddenly, a hand clamped onto the back of Kaito's head, slamming his face into the stone. "Kaito... Kiryu..." The voice was cold, mocking. Before Kaito could process what was happening, a small dagger coated in poison sank into the base of his spine. "Argh!" Kaito's scream was muffled against the floor. He tried to move, to break free from the hold, but the poison had spread, paralyzing him from the neck down. "You really thought an FF-rank was going to be the face of the new world?" the voice whispered. Two other people stepped out of the mist, their faces partially covered. "The Empire needs a better story, Kaito," the voice continued, leaning down so Kaito could see his eyes. "They need to hear how the S-ranks fought bravely, and how the 'weakest' among us died to give us the final opening. You're much more useful as a corpse than a living reminder of an FF-rank freak who saved us." Kaito looked up. His eyes blurred with tears and blood. Standing there was Kyoto, the same person who had been like a brother even before coming to this world. "You... it was you..." Kaito screamed, his voice breaking with betrayal. His heart pounded heavily as the poison slowly took over completely before finally stopping. The three stood over his lifeless body, echoes of laughter filling the room. They didn't care about the twenty years of sweat. They wanted the throne. The last thing Kaito Kiryu saw before his final breath wasn't the face of a comrade, but of rats that needed killing. [HEART RATE: 0. LIFE 1: TERMINATED.] [FIRST CONDITION MET.] [RESTARTING LIFE.] [REBOOTING... REBOOTING...] [LIFE 2 INITIATED: LOCATION - VALMONT MONASTERY.] "Hey, FF-rank. Commander is calling you. Move quick."
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Chapter 84: Whispers of Treachery
Heavy iron gates creaked shut after Yasha left the brightly lit coliseum floor and walked back into the cool darkness of the underground corridors. The aftershock of his easy victory was radiating through the coliseum in whispers of fear and reverence, but the victor walked with the leisurely step of a man who had just returned from a morning walk.The VIP balcony was thick with suffocating tension.Ethan Valemont sat petrified with rage, the marble railing crumbled into dust under the power of his hands. Kaelen, the brawler Ethan had personally picked, bribed, and placed right in front of Yasha in order to crush him, had failed to even make the fourth son raise his hands."I invested millions of dollars into that dumbass, and he proved to be nothing but a wet rag," Ethan whispered through clenched teeth, the sound of pure malice vibrating in his voice."Calm yourself, Young Master," a silky-smooth voice whispered somewhere behind him.Ethan's head butler walked to the forefront of th
Chapter 83: Blood in the Arena
The deafening roar of the colosseum crowd vibrated through the ancient stone foundation as the first official martial duel of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony was announced. In the waiting tunnel, the iron gates creaked open, allowing the harsh light of the morning sun, along with the smell of ozone, sweat, and dried blood, to come through. "First match!" the announcer's voice resounded throughout the packed arena. "From the branch families, Kaelen Valemont! Against… Yasha Valemont!" All of a sudden, a loud murmur ran through the tiered spectator seats. On the VIP balcony, Ethan Valemont leaned forward, a malicious smirk appearing on his face. Everything had worked out just the way he had expected. On the arena floor, Kaelen—a muscular brute from a branch family known for using a jagged two-handed poleaxe—appeared. Although he seemed to be quite nervous, his eyes showed dangerous greed and desperation. He had clearly been bribed and knew what the elders were expecting from him. Fro
Chapter 82: The Edge of War
The long shadows crept across the well-kept gardens of the Valemont family estate, obscuring the final bruised glow of twilight. As the other survivors were busy repairing their injuries and licking their wounds sustained from the harsh aura test performed by the Patriarch, Yasha's private mansion continued to remain untouched by the turmoil of that night. In his spacious study, Yasha was sitting behind a massive mahogany desk, leafing idly through various old family scrolls and records of martial arts history. The air around him was serene, filled with the subtle aroma of smoldering sandalwood incense. The sound of approaching footsteps could be heard outside the door. Stella walked in wearing her perfect maid uniform, carrying a tray with a warm mug of herbal tea. "The estate seems unusually calm tonight, master," Stella spoke quietly, placing the tray on the table in front of him. "Although, according to our scouts, the second son's entourage has been frantic ever since the ar
Chapter 81: Pressure Arena
The early morning sunlight illuminated the grand central amphitheater of the Valemont manor with a searing light. One hundred surviving participants of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony assembled inside the large stone fighting arena, with resounding footsteps echoing in the air.Among them, Julian walked with his mouth set in a grimace because of the stiffness in his body, whereas Yasha calmly strode inside, his hands tucked into his pockets as if he had come to some gallery presentation.On the high VIP platform overlooking the grounds, the tall silhouette of the Patriarch looked down at the area with a merciless, icy look of assessment at the youths who had managed to survive in the Crimson Veil Wilderness.Across the amphitheater, Ethan Valemont, the second son, saw Yasha standing relaxed among the surviving participants. The young man immediately froze, his eyes popping from pure, poisonous hatred as his fingers dug so hard into the stone railings that small pieces of marble cracked. Ho
Chapter 80: Day 6
The exhausting three-day survival race through the Crimson Veil Wilderness had finally come to an end. The participants started emerging from the trees in a weary fashion and entered the large clearing of the mountain stronghold, their bodies battered and clothes torn.Among them walked Julian, limping and holding the spot on his side where he had been wounded during the race a few days ago. He breathed heavily.A little bit farther away, Yasha stepped out of the forest. He looked like he had just been taking a relaxing walk in a botanical garden: perfectly tidy clothes, completely relaxed posture, and his hands in his pockets. However, when the other participants saw him, a wave of natural panic ran through them. They started actively avoiding him and making a path around him. Yasha ignored them and calmly walked towards the finish line.In the middle of the clearing, there was a large wooden table, which was guarded by the family guards who were supposed to record the points and the
Chapter 79: The Alliance of brothers
The oppressive silence of the solitary clearing was interrupted only by the uneven panting of Julian. Blood dripped down from his wound, seeping into the mud under his boots, yet he continued staring intently at his fourth brother, who had nonchalantly blinked away an elite team of masked assassins as if they were nothing more than a handful of dust.Julian released a sudden, breathless laugh finally breaking the tension—a mix of disbelief, humor, and unwilling relief. He lowered his sword by an inch, shaking his head."I warned you to be careful," Yasha said smoothly, keeping his hands behind his head with ease and giving Julian a playful smirk. "You shouldn't have worried about me. But considering your current state... looks like you would've been six feet underground five minutes ago if I hadn't appeared."Julian shot him an uneasy smile followed by a short, dry chuckle. Wincing in pain as sharp agony ran through his ribs, Julian looked back up, narrowing his piercing eyes."Fine,"
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