The old demon’s gaze paused on something.
Not on Daniel’s half-destroyed body.
But on the small creature that had fallen beside him.
A dragon.
Or more accurately... a baby dragon.
Small size, wings not fully developed yet, and a raw but undeniable aura that even in this condition couldn’t be hidden. The old demon understood with a single look; this creature was only at the beginning of its path, but its nature... was flawless and terrifying.
As one of the strongest demons in the world, he carried a very powerful bloodline. Even so, simply standing near this baby dragon made him feel like his bloodline was being suppressed.
This wasn’t an ordinary dragon.
This one clearly had one of the strongest bloodlines even among dragon-kind.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Strange." it really was strange.
He expected this human to have a rare treasure, or maybe some unusual skill. But a baby dragon? That was outside anything he had calculated.
How could a human possibly be the owner of a dragon?
And not even a fully grown dragon, this creature obviously hadn’t even been introduced to the world yet.
How could someone own a dragon?
How could other dragons allow such a thing?
He knew dragon behavior very well.
Those powerful bastards would never allow one of their kind to be raised by another species or be harmed. They were extremely sensitive about such matters.
The question shook something in his mind. A hint of hesitation.
Maybe... this human wasn’t just what he appeared to be.
Maybe he was hiding far more, Treasures even stronger.
After all, this human had something that gave him enough confidence to believe he could defeat him, and the old demon had been forced to use a skill to erase the human’s memory of it.
"It seems today... is truly my lucky day." the old demon said quietly.
If he could devour the bloodline of such a dragon, he might truly reach the peak of his power, and even go beyond it...
Touching the Demi-God rank might not be impossible...
"We’re leaving the gulf. This place no longer matters." his eyes moved from Finn to the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince was still frozen in shock. His mind full of questions, fear, and greed tangled together. But he didn’t dare oppose him, so he simply nodded.
A baby dragon. Just this one creature was worth far more than all the plans, bloodshed, and goals of this gulf.
The old demon picked up Daniel and Finn. He didn’t kill the human because he decided he might be more valuable than he looked, and killing him would be a waste.
When he returned, he had to inform the Demon King immediately. And he absolutely couldn’t let anyone else know about this baby dragon.
If dragons found out, a war would start, not a border conflict, but a war between races.
But if they could keep it hidden...
If this baby dragon was kept away from the world and its own race...
It could become a blessing that changed the balance of power between humans and demons forever.
A spatial rift opened ahead of him.
He stepped forward.
But suddenly, the rift collapsed.
The old demon’s eyes widened for the first time. Before he could even process what had happened, a bloody scream erupted behind him.
The Crown Prince, and the next moment, an explosion.
The Demon Crown Prince’s body instantly disintegrated. Flesh, blood, and bone sprayed around with no warning or sign.
No attack was seen.
No wave.
Not even killing intent.
Nothing.
The old demon froze, his spine turning cold.
"...What?"
The question didn’t even fully form in his mind.
"Who are you? Show yourself!" he turned around, shouting with a mixture of rage and fear he didn’t think himself capable of.
The answer came from the sky.
The sky above the canyon split in two.
Not a rift, not space tearing, iwas like reality itself surrendered.
A figure stepped out from between the halves.
Beautiful. Far too beautiful. A presence that normal laws of the world couldn’t describe. Her face was hidden behind a veil, but even without seeing it, her greatness was undeniable.
Her cold, emotionless eyes fell first on the old demon.
Then on Daniel.
"...So the new Eternity has been chosen." her lips moved slightly.
The old demon’s body trembled, not from cold, but from fear.
A real, pure, humiliating fear.
He knew this woman.
But why? Why would such a being be here?
His mind stopped working. His analysis collapsed. His thoughts became heavy and slow, as if the concept of thinking itself was being taken away from him.
Why would a being that even the Demon King respected, and maybe even feared, appear here?
Unless... his gaze drifted to the baby dragon and the human.
Unless she had come for them?
"Why... why are you here?" he asked, his voice shaky and filled with respect he couldn’t hide.
"You talk too much." She didn’t even fully turn her head toward him.
Her hand rose.
And the sky collapsed.
A massive pressure fell from above, formless, lawless, nameless. The old demon used every ounce of his power; his laws, his essence, even burning his core to resist.
It was pointless.
His body began to dissolve.
"This act means declaring war! Do you really want to do this?!" he screamed.
Although he himself knew that this woman had absolutely no fear toward the demon race.
"Declare war on insects?" Her gaze didn’t change even slightly.
The pressure increased. And the old demon turned to ash. No trace and even no remains.
Nothing.
The woman walked through the air.
She reached Daniel and Finn, lifted them both into her arms. This time, her gaze lingered longer on Daniel.
"I didn’t expect the Fallen to be chosen as the new Eternity." she whispered, and a hint of genuine surprise could be heard.
It wasn’t clear what she was thinking.
A moment later, still holding the two of them, she vanished.
And the canyon fell silent again.