The reason Demon Lords were known as "natural disasters" in Little Garden wasn't just because of their overwhelming power—or their authority to force Communities into Gift Gas without consent.
The truly terrifying part…
Was the price of losing.
Once a Community lost a Demon Lord's Gift Ga, the consequences were absolute.
Just like what had once happened to 'No Na.' Even as one of the strongest Communities in the lower and middle tiers, they had collapsed overnight under a Demon Lord's assault.
And now—
'Perseus' stood at the sa precipice.
If they lost this Gift Ga, then not only would Leticia be taken—
Their inherited Gifts, their banner, even the na 'Perseus' itself—
Would be stripped away.
Of course, this was still a ga.
Where there was victory, there was defeat.
And if the Demon Lord lost, then even he would not escape the consequences. A defeated Demon Lord would beco the property of the victorious Community.
That was Little Garden's balance.
"Wait!"
Lios's voice cracked as he stared at the black parchnt in his hands.
"You only want that vampire girl! We don't have so blood feud that demands a fight to the death!"
He swallowed hard.
"This is the East District! The territory protected by the strongest Floor Master—Shiroyasha! If she discovers a Demon Lord attacking Communities under her jurisdiction, she won't just stand by!"
The bravado was gone.
Completely gone.
Leaving aside how powerful Ren Kuroda was as a Demon Lord—
Lios fundantally couldn't afford to lose.
He didn't even dare imagine what losing would an.
Why had he brought 'Perseus' from the middle tier down to the lower levels in the first place?
Because after the previous leader stepped down, their strength had plumted. Their position in the middle tiers had beco awkward—embarrassing.
And Lios—
A man who preferred pleasure and indulgence over responsibility—
Would rather reign as a tyrant in the lower levels than endure mockery in the middle.
But he had never expected that shortly after arriving—
Before he could even enjoy his new life—
He would be targeted by a Demon Lord.
Lios might be incompetent.
But he wasn't stupid.
Everything he enjoyed—his status, his arrogance, his luxuries—existed only because of the na 'Perseus.'
If the banner and na were stripped away—
He would be nothing.
After weighing the stakes, Lios made his decision.
Compromise.
Losing a re vampire girl? He could live with that.
But losing everything?
Unacceptable.
The other mbers of 'Perseus' reacted with visible displeasure.
They despised Lios's earlier arrogance.
They despised his current cowardice even more.
They carried the na 'Perseus.'
Their legendary ancestor—a great Greek hero—had accomplished miracles as a re human.
And now?
His descendant couldn't even muster the courage to resist a Demon Lord.
Before the battle had even begun—
He was already bowing his head.
Ren Kuroda watched Lios choose surrender.
And smiled.
A slow, almost cruel smile.
"I'm afraid it's too late," he said lightly, spreading his hands. "Once the contract parchnt appears, it ans the Little Garden Central Authority has already accepted the Gift Ga."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Even as the host, I don't have the authority to cancel it at will. Unless you can find a loophole in the rules."
He shrugged.
"And I told you from the beginning—when I said your Community had caught a Demon Lord's attention, I wasn't lying."
"As for that vampire girl… there's no need to 'hand her over' anymore."
His crimson eyes glead faintly.
"I'm a Demon Lord now. If I want sothing… I'll take it myself."
He gestured lazily at the parchnt.
"And really, the victory condition is generous, don't you think? You have so many people. If even one of you survives for one hour…"
"Then I'm the loser."
The Gift Ga began.
Unlike ordinary Gift Gas, this one—titled "Birth of the Demon Lord"—prohibited outside interference.
The territory of 'Perseus' had beco Ren's designated hunting ground.
The mont the ga comnced, every non-participant was forcibly expelled from the space.
So types of Gift Gas unfolded within special dinsions prepared by Little Garden. Even if soone "died" inside, they were rely ejected from the ga field.
Ren's hunting-style Gift Ga—
Was precisely that type.
The designated ga area belonged to the host.
And the only territory Ren possessed—
Was his Reality Marble.
His personal domain.
The Oni Realm.
In an instant—
The magnificent palace of 'Perseus' dissolved.
Replaced by sothing cold.
Sothing suffocating.
An eerie, pitch-black world spread outward at terrifying speed, swallowing marble pillars and golden chandeliers whole.
Darkness surged like the gaping maw of an abyss.
And devoured everyone.
When Lios and the others regained their senses—
They found themselves standing in absolute blackness.
A darkness so complete they couldn't even see their own hands.
"Damn it!" Lios's voice trembled in the void.
"Wasn't the lower East District supposed to be the safest place because of Shiroyasha?! Why do we run into a Demon Lord the mont we arrive?!"
His anger found a convenient target.
"It's all that damn vampire's fault! If she hadn't run off to et that 'No Na,' none of this would have happened!"
If there was soone Lios hated most at that mont—
It wasn't 'No Na.'
It wasn't even Ren.
It was Leticia.
He had co to the lower levels to enjoy life.
Instead, because of that vampire—
His entire Community now stood on the brink of annihilation.
The thought made his teeth grind in fury.
He almost wished he could storm out and lash her again.
But rage changed nothing.
Right now, whether 'Perseus' would even continue to exist—
Was uncertain.
"Lord Lios…"
One of the 'Perseus' mbers forced himself to speak calmly.
"This environnt is disadvantageous to us… but it should be equal for both sides."
"In such darkness, if we avoid making noise, it won't be easy for him to locate us—"
A silver flash cut through the void.
So fast it was almost imaginary.
The speaker's voice stopped abruptly.
Silence swallowed the rest of his sentence.
Then—
A soft chuckle echoed through the darkness.
Ren's voice drifted across the Oni Realm like a whisper beside their ears.
"This is my hunting ground."
"Did you really think I'd be restricted by its environnt?"
A faint tallic sound—like sothing being dragged lightly across stone—scraped through the blackness.
"Even if we assu my vision is limited here…"
His tone turned playful.
"Your voices."
"Your breathing."
"Your fear."
"In this darkness…"
"They shine brighter than floodlights."
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