"I am Duke Laktum, a servant of the Malevolent Emperor. Demon King of Liberation, the great one has ordered me to show you proper courtesy, and thus I have come before you," the demon said, his yellow eyes gleaming as he stared at Caron.
Laktum wore a violet suit, his every movement exuding the aura of a high-ranking noble among demons. The entire Oceanwolf Knight Order, along with every soldier present, tightened their grips on their weapons.
He was a high demon. And not just any—he was of ducal rank. Far too dangerous to be dismissed as a mere messenger.
Laktum's gaze lingered on Caron, then slowly shifted to Halo.
"I have no intention of fighting," Laktum said evenly. "The Malevolent Emperor holds you in respect, Demon King of Liberation."
Caron let out a sharp laugh and replied, "And what should I do with that? I don't have a single word worth exchanging with demon scum."
The Malevolent Emperor was the one Caron had sworn to take vengeance upon in this life. The one who had toyed with his previous existence, who had a hand in this damned reincarnation. No matter what else happened, Caron intended to tear that wretch to pieces.
With no hesitation, he rose to his feet, killing intent bursting forth like a blade unsheathed.
Whoosh!
Guillotine resonated, trembling violently as it reacted to Laktum's dark mana. Pure Azure Mana erupted from the blade, filling the chamber in a suffocating wave.
The commanders froze, holding their breath.
This... This is no mere human malice...
He is nothing like the Grand Duke. This is... the very visage of a Demon King.
Even battle-hardened commanders could only groan under the crushing weight of Caron's presence. Cloaked in mana, radiating unrestrained bloodlust, he looked like a storm given flesh.
Unlike Halo, whose power resembled a deep and steady sea, Caron's presence resembled a boundless ocean whipped into an endless storm—an overwhelming maelstrom that sailors feared, merciless and unforgiving.
"Well," Caron said coldly, "Since you risked your life to come here, I'll let you spew whatever nonsense you brought. But if it's nothing but garbage, I'll slice your head off right here."
"...Demon King of Liberation," Laktum began.
"Aaah, enough with that title," Caron cut him off. "Did you come to strip me of my throne? Is there some sort of Demon King alliance I haven't heard of? Maybe you're here to collect membership fees? Fine. I'll give you five minutes. If you fail to amuse me in that time, I'll devour you myself."
Laktum's face twisted into a grimace, but he dared not treat the threat as a joke.
The man before him had already surpassed mortal limits. He had grown into something far more dreadful than the Demon King had warned of.
Victory was impossible. Even the Demon King of Sloth had been devoured by this human. A mere duke couldn't hope to stand against him.
And so, Laktum lowered his head respectfully and said, "The Malevolent Emperor requests a summit."
"A summit, you say..." Caron murmured with a cold smile. "Now this is getting interesting. Continue."
"It will be a three-way summit," Laktum explained. "The participants shall be the Demon King of Havoc, the Demon Queen of Lust, and yourself. The location is within the Realm of Sloth, and the subject is a ceasefire negotiation."
Caron barked a laugh and said, "Haha! I've lived long enough to hear demons themselves propose a ceasefire."
It was absurd. Demons, born for war, begging for peace? Such a possibility had never once crossed his mind.
The commanders stirred uneasily at the revelation, whispers threatening to erupt—
But Caron moved first.
Shing!
Guillotine flashed as he drew it and, without hesitation, cleaved through Laktum's right arm.
Thud.
The severed limb hit the floor, blood spraying like a fountain. Yet Laktum's expression didn't waver. Calmly, he lifted his left arm to press it against the bloody stump.
Ssssshhh!
Dark mana poured forth, and the bleeding stopped instantly.
Laktum said in a low voice, "The Malevolent Emperor wishes for you to turn your gaze to a greater enemy. He asks that you set aside the hatred before your eyes and face a more ancient foe instead."
"Enough with your riddles," Caron said coldly.
"The Demon King of Void," Laktum continued. "To stand against that being, those of us who remain must join forces. The Demon King of Void is a creature far beyond the limits of human understanding."
An alliance with an enemy to face a greater foe. Caron almost laughed. What a ridiculous notion.
"If I tear you limb from limb and send you back like that, I think he'll figure out my answer. Don't you agree?" he said with a smirk.
But then—
"Caron Leston. Stop tormenting my poor subordinate and take this seriously. This is my last gesture of goodwill toward you."
Through Laktum's mouth, a voice Caron loathed echoed. It was the Malevolent Emperor. The very sound of that voice alone was enough to stoke his fury.
"If that's the case, why didn't you come yourself?" Caron asked with a sneer.
"We do not have endless time. Accept the summit. You can fight me afterward if you wish."
"I don't negotiate with demons," Caron said flatly. "That's one of the founding principles of our expedition. So I don't think this will work."
"If you agree to the summit, I will come to the site myself. Not a projection, not an avatar—my true form," Havoc said.
That was a tempting offer. For the Demon King to come alone meant an opportunity. It was an opening to sever his head in one stroke.
It could only mean one of two things. He was either truly desperate, or truly confident in his strength.
Most likely the latter, Caron thought.
He hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Halo. The duke gave a slow nod, saying, "Do as you please."
"Yes," Caron replied.
If the Demon King himself promised to come alone, there was no reason to refuse. It saved them the trouble of hunting him down.
With Halo's approval, Caron addressed the Malevolent Emperor through Laktum's body. "So... Are you in contact with the Demon Queen of Lust as well?"
"She and I share a common goal. Of course... Her interest lies more directly with you. But she, too, has agreed to my proposal. If you accept, the summit will proceed," Havoc answered.
For some reason, even Caron felt a flicker of curiosity. If the Malevolent Emperor was making the first move, it couldn't be a trivial matter.
Still, there was no real reason to refuse. If the Demon Kings were offering themselves up to him, then it would be foolish not to welcome them.
Caron's lips curled into a thin smile and said, "The summit shall be held here, in the fortress of the Demon King of Liberation. You have no objection, do you? As an old imperial saying goes: The thirsty man digs the well. If you're the one in need, then you come to me."
"The date?" Havoc asked.
"Two weeks from now," Caron replied.
"So be it," Havoc said.
With that, the Malevolent Emperor's voice faded. Laktum let out a faint groan and bowed his head.
Caron waved him off and said, "The message was delivered. Now get lost."
In an instant, Laktum vanished without a trace.
Only the human commanders remained in the chamber. Halo's deep voice broke the silence. "A ceasefire negotiation, he says. Do you truly intend to speak of peace with demons?"
"Of course," Caron said lightly. "As long as they accept my conditions, why not?"
"And what conditions would those be?" Halo asked.
"That the Demon Kings kill themselves, and that the nobles who followed them commit suicide as well. If they can manage those two things, then yes—I'll grant them their ceasefire," Caron explained.
He turned his sharp gaze toward Seria, a murderous smile tugging at his lips as he remarked, "Since they're so kind as to march into our jaws, we'd best be ready, don't you think?"
"What preparations do you mean?" Seria asked.
"A barrier," Caron replied. "One the Demon Kings cannot possibly break free from."
"...You mean..." Seria trailed off.
"We'll put them down cleanly when they beg for death. On the day of the submission, we'll take the heads of both Demon Kings," Caron declared.
The commanders groaned at the underhanded scheme, a plan so far removed from the idea of a diplomatic meeting.
As expected... Incredible.
The man knows nothing of honor!
But even so, a grand feast would be prepared for their uninvited guests.
Caron clenched his fist and gave a small nod.
That day, the council ended with unanimous agreement on one course of action. It was the assassination of the Demon Kings.
Thus began Operation "Smash the Demon Kings' Skulls."
***
Two weeks later, it was the day of the so-called "Demon King Summit."
"Do you think this will really work?" Leo asked. He let out a deep sigh as he gazed at the drastically transformed fortress of the Demon King of Liberation.
In just two weeks, the fortress had been completely altered. Holy statues stood at intervals, the Magic Tower's airships already loomed in the skies, dwarven cannons lined the ramparts, and intricate magic circles had been laid everywhere. The place no longer looked like a fortress; it looked like a prison.
Anyone could see it for what it was: A trap. Practically a giant advertisement saying "This is a trap!"
To Leo's question, Caron answered with a sharp, crooked grin, "The choice is theirs. Even Demon Kings have eyes. They'll know this is a trap the moment they see it."
No matter how powerful a Demon King was, escaping this encirclement would be close to impossible. At the very least, they could inflict a devastating blow on the enemy's true body.
If, despite all this, the Demon Kings still agreed to hold the summit, then it meant they genuinely sought a truce.
But Caron had no intention of accepting a truce, even if they begged for one.
"All I need is the chance to sever their heads," he said flatly.
"You're insane," Leo muttered, shaking his head.
"Think about it. A truce with Demon Kings? For how long? Once it ends, they'll bare their fangs again. These bastards are nothing but vermin gnawing at the continent. And vermin, if not purged quickly, spread everywhere," Caron explained.
From the beginning, he'd never considered peace. His only focus had been finding the most efficient way to kill Demon Kings. The choice lay entirely with them: Die here like fools, or retreat and prepare for more war.
Of course, the Demon King of Havoc's truce request had sown discord within the expedition. Some nations wanted to withdraw, unwilling to spill more blood when peace seemed possible. Perhaps that had been Havoc's true aim.
Even so, the stance of the expedition's high command, Caron included, remained firm.
"Unless the Demon Kings and their highborn nobles are purged, there will be no peace. Otherwise, what was the point of forming this expedition?" Caron added.
The ultimate mission of the Demon Realm Expedition was to secure the continent's safety by annihilating every hostile force within the Demon Realm. As long as Demon Kings remained alive, safety was impossible.
Leo, expressionless, asked, "So if you kill the rest of them, that'll leave only one Demon King behind, won't it?"
Caron blinked and asked, "And how's a Demon King supposed to remain after we've killed them all?"
Leo's lips curled faintly and muttered, "You, the Demon King of Liberation."
"Hmm."
Caron wondered what to do when the war ended. If he returned to the continent having absorbed the power of the Demon Kings, he wondered if others would welcome him back.
He frowned and shook his head. Leo was right. In the eyes of others, he himself had already become indistinguishable from the very monsters he fought. The expedition members' behavior proved it—once, they had only regarded him as an unpleasant madman. Now, they recoiled from approaching him at all. Only his old companions treated him the same.
"Sometimes you really do say clever things," Caron remarked dryly.
It was worth considering, but for now, the immediate threat came first. The aftermath could wait until after the war.
So he lingered with Leo, exchanging idle words as they awaited their "guests."
Time passed until suddenly—
Bweeeeeeeng!
The fortress alarm spell blared, rattling the air. Soldiers seized their weapons and hurried to their assigned positions.
Crackle!
A violet spark burst in the empty sky, tearing open the holy barrier. A man stepped through. He was a demon, dressed in golden robes studded with gemstones—the attire unmistakably that of an Imperial Emperor.
"That bastard still has the same rotten taste," Caron growled, grinding his teeth.
It was the Demon King of Havoc, the Malevolent Emperor. This was Caron's sworn enemy. The one he had vowed to slay in this lifetime.
Old hatred boiled inside him, surging like waves that swelled visibly around his body.
Nor was he the only one enraged. The Imperial Guards and the empire's soldiers clenched their fists and roared in fury. This monster had desecrated their Imperial bloodline. To them too, Havoc was a mortal enemy.
Shhhh!
Not long after the Tyrant appeared, the barrier split again. This time, black petals swirled down.
"Oh my, I never expected such a warm welcome. What bliss!" a voice said.
From the storm of petals emerged a stunning woman with black wings unfurled—the Demon Queen of Lust, Laia.
Her mere presence sent ripples of unease through the ranks. The succubus' mana shook men's hearts and clouded their minds.
"Light, save us," priests of the Holy Kingdom cried. "Deliver us from this trial."
Only their hymns held the soldiers steady; without them, half the ranks could well have succumbed to her allure.
The Demon King of Havoc and Demon Queen of Lust had rendered many of the fortress' traps useless simply by appearing. They landed lightly before Caron.
Caron shoved Leo behind him and flashed the intruders a bright, hungry smile.
"I've been waiting for you," he said. "Oh, how I've longed to see you."
This was the moment Caron had yearned for with every fiber of his being. At last, he bared all his hatred toward the Demon Kings.