Chapter 51: The Emperor and the Demon (1)
“Son of Zeke.”
Ira spoke. A glint of murderous intent flashed within his cold, sunken eyes.
“I had no need to ask for your opinion. I have no reason to heed the words of an inferior race. Yet, I chose to converse with you. Do you know why that is?”
“Because you got beaten up by not too long ago? You probably wanted to win at least with words, huh?”
“...A petty provocation.”
Ira muttered, though the veins bulging on his forehead told another story.
“It’s because you are Zeke’s son. For decades, Zeke hindered us. And his offspring are no different. The children of the Conqueror always show explosive potential in monts of crisis. I did not wish for another Zeke to appear.”
“You sure have a roundabout way of saying you don’t want to fight . Do demons usually fight with their tongues? Well, I guess you’d want to beat my father with words, at least.”
“Ha.”
A hollow laugh escaped Ira’s mouth — a sound full of disbelief.
“You’re asking for death. Very well, if you wish to die that much, I’ll show you. My true power.”
Uuuuuuuung—!!
The air began to tremble. It was a vibration that reminded one of an earthquake.
It was a strange sight — to feel the trembling of the air, sothing invisible to the eye.
It was too vivid to be re imagination.
Kwaaaa—!
A blindingly white force burst forth from Ira’s entire body. It felt like standing before a natural disaster.
Leon’s body trembled uncontrollably. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t suppress the shaking. The being before him exuded a fearso power beyond reason.
Grip—!
At that mont, Leon bit his lip hard. Blood dripped from his chin.
‘So what?’
His body might display fear, but his will had yet to bend.
A re sight like this wasn’t enough to break him.
Then—
“I heard news that my knights were killed.”
A woman’s voice rang out from nowhere. Leon hadn’t even sensed her approach. She appeared as if out of thin air — like a ghost.
“I ca to see what happened and...”
Her eyes turned toward Ira. She spoke as if looking upon sothing filthy.
“So the filth has seeped into my Empire.”
She was a striking woman — her hair burned like flas, and her cold blue eyes were fixed on Ira.
“Answer . What did you do in my Empire?”
“Empress.”
“Demon.”
At that instant, a chilling murderous intent flashed in her eyes.
“I am the Emperor. Do not define by sothing as trivial as gender.”
Emperor?
Suspicion rose in Leon’s eyes.
Why was the Emperor here?
The thought barely ford before—
“I thought you were hiding in your palace, afraid of dying. Turns out you enjoy taking walks, huh?”
Ira spoke, his expression full of twisted delight.
“How amusing. The one who rules the Empire stands before . Are you not afraid? Once you die, the fall of your Empire is only a matter of ti.”
“Foolish thing. Did you think I ca here without preparation?”
With those words, dozens—no, hundreds—of killing intents flared toward Ira.
Just feeling the fragnts of it was enough to make one’s body freeze.
“Foolish demon. I will ask once more. Why did you set your filthy feet within my Empire? Why did you kill my loyal knights?”
Leon glanced at the Emperor. Despite her calm, frosted eyes, he could feel the imnse fury hidden beneath. His sharp senses told him one thing—
The Emperor’s wrath was beyond imagination.
Ira seed to realize that as well. He spoke in a flat tone.
“Because of the elves. The ones I had escaped. I rely ca to retrieve them.”
“You killed three of my knights and still dare to speak so glibly. I will waste no more words.”
The Emperor raised her hand and pointed to Ira’s throat.
“Lay down your head and leave. Do so, and I shall grant you rcy.”
This was no bluff. Her icy, unwavering eyes showed the truth in her words.
“Ridiculous. This is the perfect chance to kill the Empress. I won’t let it pass.”
Ssst—!
In an instant, Ira’s figure blurred—and then vanished, reappearing behind the Emperor.
His movent was too fast for the eyes to follow.
“Die.”
Kaaang—!!
“...!!”
Ira’s strike was stopped effortlessly. Hidden Imperial guards had intercepted his attack.
“This is...?”
“I told you, did I not? That I wouldn’t co unprepared. You killed my knights—ordinary soldiers would never be enough to face you. Rejoice. Though half-trained, these n are not unworthy of being called the Imperial Knights.”
Kwaaaaaa—!
With her words, overwhelming auras erupted from all sides. The air itself trembled with their power. It was the unmistakable force that only knights could wield—Force energy.
“...I didn’t hear the Empire had a hundred knights.”
“A fair statent,” the Emperor replied with a bitter smile.
“These are not yet knights. They are simply those striving to beco such.”
She continued, her tone cold and sharp.
“And that’s not all, foolish demon. Fifty thousand Imperial soldiers have surrounded this entire area to prevent your escape. You will not run from this.”
It was an astonishing number. The Empire was said to command hundreds of thousands, but to gather fifty thousand in such a short ti—
That required imnse authority.
It was truly awe-inspiring.
“Empress...!”
Ira’s face twisted like that of a wrathful spirit. He was deep in thought now.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of Force users surrounded him. Even for Ira, this was not a fight he could win easily.
A grim expression filled his face before he finally spoke.
“Empress, I propose a deal. My goal was only to take those two High Elves with . Hand them over, and I will leave peacefully.”
“You killed three of my knights and now wish to walk away? That’s beyond a joke. Even a beast would refuse such a deal.”
“Think carefully. Three knights are already dead. The Empire has suffered great loss. If all your Force users die in this battle, your Empire will crumble.”
“You dare threaten ?”
“I rely speak the truth.”
The Emperor and Ira’s gazes clashed midair. It was as if an invisible current flowed between them.
“Indeed, your words are not wrong. If I lose this force, my standing will fall, and the Empire itself would face a crisis. It would be wiser to preserve our strength for now.”
The Emperor spoke, seeming almost to acknowledge Ira’s reasoning.
Leon looked at the Emperor with unease. If possible, he wanted to speak up—
That when it ca to demons, one must never weigh the imdiate gain.
You never knew what calamity they would bring later on.
Then the Emperor continued.
“That is why I must refuse your proposal.”
“...What do you an by that?”
“I am the Emperor. I rule the Empire and bear the duty of protecting its people. But you have already hard my loyal servants. That alone can be seen as an act of treason—an attempt at rebellion.”
“Empress, reconsider—”
“I told you. I am not the Empress, but the Emperor.”
The Emperor cut off Ira’s words sharply. Her voice, calm yet low, carried fury within it.
“You not only killed my loyal knights but now dare mock as well. I will not say it twice. Your proposal is rejected.”
“......”
A murderous gleam flashed in Ira’s eyes. A nacing aura spread around him.
The air turned frigid. It wouldn’t have been strange if battle broke out at any mont.
A heavy tension descended upon the place.
Soon, Ira opened his mouth.
“I’ll stop here. I have no confidence in fighting the entire Empire and surviving. I shall withdraw for now.”
“Who said you were allowed to retreat?”
Kwaaaang—!!
In that instant—
Dozens of powerful warriors rushed at Ira. It happened in a blink.
Even Leon, who was nearby, barely managed to catch a glimpse of it.
“Empress…!!”
“How many tis must I tell you? I am the Emperor.”
The Emperor spoke with a chilling smile.
“I should open that foolish head of yours. I’m quite curious about your brain structure.”
The battle between Ira and the elite warriors began. It wasn’t a fair duel. Naturally so—
The opponent wasn’t human but a demon. They had to fight with the mindset of extermination, not competition.
Sword energy and spells poured endlessly toward Ira. But he wasn’t so easily overpowered.
So this was the might of one of the Demon King’s Seven Apostles.
He evaded most attacks while simultaneously securing an escape route.
“Seal his movents! Cast restraining magic!”
At the Emperor’s command, mages followed suit. They weighed down Ira’s body and bound his legs in chains.
It was useless.
Kraaaak—!!
The mages’ spells shattered from a single roar. A terrifying sight. Sothing a re warrior could never imagine.
He destroyed magic through sheer physical force. A feat easier said than done, requiring a body honed beyond imagination. Even Kazan could never break a spell through strength alone.
‘Is it because Ira is a mage himself? He seems immune to their magic.’
At this rate, his escape was only a matter of ti.
“So, you’re Leon. I heard there’s a new recruit in the Black Dragon. Didn’t expect that to be Zeke Fritz’s son.”
It was then—
The Emperor, who had approached without notice, spoke to Leon. A gentle smile played on her lips, tinged with mischief.
“How do you find the Empire? From your look, you seem to have visited other territories as well.”
“...It is an honor to et Your Majesty, the Emperor.”
“Oh? You’re different from the other warriors. You know your manners. Though a bit unrefined, still admirable for a warrior. I’ll comnd you for that.”
Leon simply nodded in reply. His response bordered on rudeness toward an Emperor.
As proof, the man standing beside the Emperor gazed at Leon intently. Likely her aide or advisor—his eyes were piercing.
“Pay him no mind. He’s rely strict about decorum.”
“……”
The aide said nothing—only bowed his head once.
From his deanor alone, one could roughly guess his personality.
“So, what is it you wanted to ask? Shouldn’t we be focusing on capturing Ira right now?”
“So that demon’s na is Ira? As expected of Zeke Fritz’s son, you’re quite knowledgeable. As for your question—don’t worry. We won’t catch him anyway.”
“Please explain in detail.”
“The mages say that demon barely feels the effects of magic. And there’s no guarantee our knights can defeat him either. The best course is simply to drive him out.”
“You’re quite pragmatic, Your Majesty.”
It was a stark contrast to the Emperor’s earlier declaration that she would kill Ira.
“The warriors of Elphrel are about the sa. And to be precise, those n weren’t even truly wielding Force. They rely took stimulants that temporarily elevated their state.”
“Stimulants?”
“An alchemist’s creation. It allows temporary use of Force.”
It was an astonishing statent.
Force was a power attainable only by those who had truly reached the proper realm.
And yet, it could be awakened by sothing as crude as a stimulant?
Even if temporary, it was remarkable.
If such a thing ever spread to the public, every soldier and warrior would be desperate to buy it.
“Are there no side effects?”
“There are. They’ll be bedridden for about a week. It’s been refined to minimize harm—but that’s the best that could be done. It just shows how trendous the power of Force truly is.”
For sothing so grave-sounding, the side effect seed almost trivial.
“Well, if soone untrained takes it, they’ll die. It’s only survivable because these soldiers were carefully raised under my supervision.”
“...You’re revealing quite a lot, Your Majesty. Is it wise for an Emperor to speak so freely?”
“It hardly matters. In front of Zeke Fritz, none of this would an a thing. If the Conqueror had ever wished to devour the world, the Empire would have been his. Whether you know or not changes nothing.”
Bold words indeed. Not sothing an Emperor should easily utter.
Even her aide couldn’t fully hide his expression.
“Ah, that’s right. I didn’t co here for idle chatter. I got carried away speaking to the Conqueror’s son. Leon, when this battle ends, co to the Imperial Palace. There’s sothing I wish to discuss with you.”
It was a ssage directly from the ruler of the Empire. The conversation to co would surely be anything but ordinary.
Leon responded with a brief nod.
“Good. I’ll grant you so ti. Speak with your comrades first.”
Leaving only those words, the Emperor turned away.
Leon let out a sigh.
For the Emperor to summon him... it couldn’t be a good sign.
He was lost in thought when—
“Leon.”
Kazan called out to him, his voice trembling as if the ground itself shook.
“Was what the Emperor said true?”
“……”
A sudden headache struck Leon.
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