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"Hmm?"
Though it was somewhat bizarre to have someone boldly delivering messages at such a moment, Bokue had a sudden feeling akin to a pizza guy stumbling upon a murder scene.
When Bokue turned around, his eyes landed on a rather... flamboyant figure lurking at the ruined throne room's entrance.
It was an absurdly overdressed demon, wearing a tight-fitting bodysuit that inexplicably opened in a huge V-neck down to his navel, proudly exposing his muscular chest and sharply defined abs. The deep blue sash cinched at his slender waist further emphasized his bizarrely seductive appearance.
But most striking was his flowing blue hair and that prominent, purple horn protruding from his forehead.
What the actual hell...?
Bokue's mouth twitched slightly. He had seen some eccentric fashion choices, but this man was in a whole new category. Only in anime or manga would you encounter such an outrageously flamboyant villain stereotype.
The absurdity was so over-the-top, Bokue's first reaction was a sense of mild disbelief mixed with vague disgust.
"...And who exactly are you supposed to be?" Bokue deliberately fixed his gaze solely upon that purple horn, forcibly ignoring the over-the-top visual assault from neck down.
"Ah, forgive my manners," the horned man bowed gracefully with exaggerated courtesy, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. "Allow me to introduce myself—I am Admirath, an official envoy of the Northern Territory's Council. I've come here today solely to deliver a message."
"A message?" Bokue recalled vaguely that the strange man had indeed mentioned something about delivering a notification earlier.
"If I remember correctly, your message was something about the conflict between the Old and Current Demon Lord factions...?" Bokue prompted with raised eyebrows.
"Precisely," Admirath confirmed elegantly.
"Given the intensifying friction between your two factions, the Council proposed an official resolution. A decisive battle designed to conclusively determine once and for all who shall rule the Northern Territory—preferably with minimal losses on either side."
Admirath glanced deliberately toward the broken throne, his eyes drifting calmly toward Ramusas's battered, lifeless form.
"But, from what I can see now, I suppose such formalities are no longer needed, hmm?" he remarked dryly.
"Oh?" Bokue raised an eyebrow in mild curiosity.
Admirath explained coolly: "Lord Ramusas was, after all, the pillar of the Old Demon Lord faction. Without his participation, their defeat seems inevitable. Given the magnitude of today's assault, word will spread quickly—indeed, as I approached earlier, I already noticed many civilians hastily packing belongings, fleeing the city."
He shrugged lightly, a faint, sardonic smile tugging at his lips. "It seems likely that the Old Demon Lord faction itself will officially dissolve within days."
"..."
Bokue listened quietly, uninterested. After all, it was precisely as he'd stated earlier—if you remove the one creating problems, you remove the problem itself.
And he'd already decisively removed Ramusas, permanently resolving the matter. No Ramusas meant no absurd plan to steal Mio's power. From Bokue's perspective, the goal had been entirely achieved.
"Anyway, I'm just a messenger. Delivering this note was my only responsibility. The rest doesn't concern me," Admirath said indifferently. He walked forward elegantly and placed the letter gently on the steps leading up to the now-empty throne.
With that done, he turned abruptly, gave a little casual wave without looking back, and strode out the ruined hall as swiftly as he arrived—precisely like a salaryman clocking off at exactly five p.m.
"..."
An awkward silence filled the shattered hall once more.
Finally, Rias cautiously broke the quiet tension: "Maybe we should at least take a look at what exactly that letter says?"
"Is that really necessary?" Bokue replied disinterestedly, but still walked up to pick up the letter. He casually opened it, glancing through its contents.
"It's probably just some formal announcement of the battle date and place," Bokue said, scanning the note quickly. "Let me see..."
Most of the letter's content matched Bokue's casual assumption—except for one particular sentence near the end:
Should the Old Demon Lord faction fail to attend this decisive battle, victory will be automatically awarded to the Current Demon Lord faction. All territories under the Old Demon Lord faction will thereby officially belong to the Current Demon Lord faction.
That seemed reasonable enough, Bokue thought initially.
After all, the whole point of their conflict was claiming territory. Whoever won naturally would take the spoils, right?
The specific emphasis on "Old Demon Lord faction's absence" was clearly a precautionary clause, likely because the Council itself believed the Old Demon Lords had little chance of victory and might try to avoid battle entirely.
However...
"No! Absolutely not!" Maria suddenly interjected loudly.
??
Everyone immediately turned their gaze toward the girl, who abruptly interrupted the discussion.
"Because—well..." Maria hesitated briefly before gathering her resolve. "If all of the Old Demon Lord territories go to the Current Demon Lord faction, doesn't that include this very castle?"
Bokue paused thoughtfully. "Yes, it probably would,"
No doubt about it—when the Council mentioned "all territories," it naturally encompassed this very castle as well.
Maria bit her lip anxiously. "But the thing is, this castle isn't just another piece of land. It was left specifically to Mio by her father, the former Demon Lord Wilbert. Mio is the rightful heir. So, technically, this place is actually Mio's home. If the Current Demon Lord faction seizes it—"
Oh, now that was a valid issue.
Bokue immediately understood her concern.
It was like one's family ancestral home: Even if you barely ever visited, even if the house was old, drafty, leaky, and uncomfortable, that still didn't mean someone else could just come along and bulldoze it for their own purposes.
"Well, looks like we'll have to pay our young Demon Lord friend, Leohart, a little afternoon visit to... discuss this," Bokue muttered, half amused.
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Meanwhile, at the Current Demon Lord faction's territory, the young Demon Lord himself finally returned to his palace, exhausted after supervising excavation work all morning.
But as soon as Leohart stepped into his throne room, a golden-haired figure sitting casually upon his throne sprang to her feet, her face lighting up with a playful smile.
"Welcome home, Leo-chan~!" she greeted cheerfully, practically bouncing toward him with enthusiastic affection.
"Sister??" Leohart's eyes widened, utterly startled by the unexpected visitor. "Why are you here right now? Didn't the Council notice your absence?"
"Oh, don't worry," Liala smiled sweetly, waving away his concerns casually. "Those old Council fellows have been busy preparing for your big battle against the Old Demon Lords. They barely even glance my way. I figured I'd slip out for a quick visit while they're distracted~"
Leohart frowned slightly, uncertain. "But... I'm really busy these next few days. That excavation work is ongoing—I have to supervise it again this afternoon..."
"No worries~" Liala replied brightly. "I know you're super busy, Leo-chan. So, your dear big sister will just hold down the fort here while you're away!"
Leohart sighed slightly, finally giving a small, weary smile. "Thanks, Sis... I appreciate it."
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