At the same time, the entire royal capital was thrown into chaos.
After Duanmu Huai killed the blond Devilman, the Lisath soldiers who had been brainwashed and controlled by him naturally came to their senses. They immediately resumed fierce combat with the Helman soldiers.
"What's going on?!"
When he heard the sounds of killing and shouting outside, Prince Barton couldn't help but rush out, only to receive terrible news.
"R-report! The Lisath soldiers who were previously brainwashed have suddenly regained consciousness! They are launching an attack against our forces!"
"How could this be..."
Prince Barton's expression changed drastically upon hearing the report.
"Damn it! Where are those Devilmen?! Where did the Devilmen go?!"
"We don't know! They're nowhere to be seen! Your Highness, we must consider retreating!"
"Retreat?!"
Prince Barton clenched his fists and sprang to his feet in fury. Retreat? He had practically wagered everything he had on this plan, and now they were telling him to retreat? To tuck his tail between his legs and flee back to Helman? At that point, how was that any different from death?
"No, absolutely not retreating! Seal off the royal capital! Resist Lisath's counterattack with everything we've got! They don't have many troops—we still hold the advantage. There's no need to panic!"
"Y-yes!!"
After issuing his orders, Prince Barton collapsed heavily into his chair.
Why had this happened? What in the world were those Devilmen doing?!
Just as Barton was completely baffled, a pitch-black figure suddenly appeared before him. Seeing this figure, Barton immediately stood up.
"Noth, what exactly is going on? Why did those brainwashed soldiers suddenly wake up?!"
As he spoke, Barton stared fixedly at the old man before him—a tall figure completely wrapped in a black cloak, one of the Devilmen who had assisted Helman in attacking Lisath.
"Heh heh, Prince Barton, please calm yourself. To be honest, I did not anticipate this either. Judging by the situation, it's very likely that Ezeru was killed by the enemy… I truly didn't expect such an existence to still be lurking within Lisath's capital…"
"What? Ezeru was killed?!"
Barton was utterly shocked. Even a Devilman had been killed—just how powerful was their enemy?
"Please don't worry, Prince Barton. Fortunately, the Demon King has not abandoned us."
As he spoke, Noth extended his hand and produced three pieces of white equipment.
"What is this?"
Barton frowned at the sight of the equipment, while Noth let out a soft chuckle.
"These are the Sacred Armaments passed down through the Lisath royal line. Legend says that as long as one possesses them along with the blood of the Lisath royal family, the seal can be lifted, granting power strong enough to defeat even Devilmen. That's what we were searching for all along. I never expected we'd obtain them so easily. Rest assured, Prince Barton—once you break the seal and gain this immense power, no one will be able to oppose you."
"...…"
Prince Barton glared viciously at the Devilman Noth. He wasn't an idiot—he knew full well things could not possibly be that simple. But now…
He had no choice.
"I understand. But the Princess of Lisath isn't here."
"No problem."
As he spoke, Noth produced a small vial.
"I anticipated this might happen, so I already collected some of the princess's blood. It should be sufficient."
"...You really did prepare thoroughly."
Prince Barton sneered coldly and stood up.
"Then let's go. I want to see for myself what kind of power Lisath sealed away!"
After that, wearing the Sacred Armaments, Barton followed Noth into what appeared to be a guest room.
"Please take this vial of blood and press that button over there."
Standing outside the room, Noth pointed inside. Seeing this, Barton frowned.
"You're not coming in?"
"There's a barrier inside that is extremely unfavorable to Devilmen. I cannot enter. I'll wait here for your triumphant return."
"...…Hmph."
Barton snorted coldly, stepped into the room, and pressed the button. The room suddenly shook, then began to descend slowly.
"So this is Lisath's secret? Those damn Devilmen…"
Gritting his teeth as the room descended, Barton felt deep resentment. He had occupied Lisath's royal capital for nearly a month, yet knew nothing of this secret. The Devilmen were the same—if it weren't for this situation, Noth probably would never have told him about this place.
Whatever their true intentions were didn't matter anymore. As long as he obtained this power… this power capable of killing even Devilmen… then this nation would still belong to him!
"Boom—!"
The room stopped descending, the door opened, and dazzling white light burst forth. Barton hesitated briefly, then strode forward.
Scorching, blinding radiance flooded toward him, so intense that even Barton couldn't open his eyes. As he advanced, the Sacred Armaments on his body shattered one by one, crumbling into fragments.
Damn it. Is this why the Devilmen refused to come here?
Barton could clearly sense the sacred power contained within the light. If he weren't human, but a demon instead, he would likely have been annihilated the instant he entered. Fortunately, he was human, allowing him to endure the illumination of this holy radiance.
Clenching his teeth, Barton advanced step by step. After what felt like an eternity, the light finally faded, revealing a massive sealed space before him.
"That is…"
Barton scanned his surroundings, then focused on the longsword suspended in midair at the center. The sword looked extremely strange, sealed tightly by chains.
"So this is the power that can eliminate Devilmen?"
Barton snorted coldly and stepped forward, reaching out to grasp the hilt. To his surprise, he barely applied any force—yet the chains wrapped around the blade shattered instantly.
However…
"That's it?"
Holding the strange demonic sword, Barton frowned. He felt no surge of power, no enhancement to his strength. What was going on…?
"Hahahahahahaha!!!"
Before Barton could figure it out, loud laughter erupted. He turned around to see Devilman Noth standing inside the room, staring at him excitedly.
"Although it differs somewhat from what we anticipated, it has finally succeeded!!"
"Devilman! What the hell are you plotting?!"
At that moment, Barton could no longer suppress his fury. Roaring, he swung the longsword at Noth. To his astonishment, the Devilman's invincible barrier seemed nonexistent before the blade. The sword sliced cleanly through the air toward Noth—
—and was caught barehanded.
"Ah… ahhh…"
Blood flowed from Noth's palm, but he looked utterly ecstatic. He didn't even glance at Barton, instead staring past him.
"At last… at last you have awakened, Lady Jill!!"
"What?!"
Barton instinctively turned around. On the platform where the sword had been sealed, a small girl had appeared. She had pale greenish-white hair and a petite, immature body, looking no more than a girl in her early teens. Yet from her emanated a terrifying pressure so overwhelming it made breathing difficult.
"T-this is…?"
"That's right. This is the former Demon King—Lady Jill!!"
Devilman Noth stretched his arms toward the girl in excitement.
"Ahhh, Lady Jill! Sealed by the detestable Gai through Chaos, a nation named Lisath was built upon this land, reinforced by a powerful and twisted blood seal… but now, it's all over!! Lady Jill will return, and humanity will once again sink into eternal terror!"
"T-this was your plan?!"
Barton was completely stunned. He had known the Devilmen had their own agenda, but he never imagined their goal was to revive the sealed former Demon King.
"As for that sword…"
Noth glared at the demonic sword in Barton's hand, his face darkening.
"That sword that harms Devilmen… the sword that sealed Lady Jill… no longer needs to exist!"
With Noth's roar, the sword in his grasp snapped instantly, shattering into fragments. A violent surge of power exploded outward, blasting Barton away and smashing him into the wall, where he lost consciousness.
"Lady Jill…"
Noth didn't spare the fallen prince a single glance. To him, Barton had lost all value. His entire focus rested solely on the Demon King he served.
"Please descend once more, and show this world your power!!"
"...…"
It was unclear whether the girl heard him. Her vacant eyes slowly lifted, gazing into the void.
In the next instant, an incomparably powerful force erupted from Jill's body, shooting straight into the heavens!
"BOOOOOOM—!!!"
A blood-red pillar of light pierced through the royal capital and into the sky. Dark clouds gathered instantly as red lightning danced wildly.
"What's going on?"
Returning to the mansion, Duanmu Huai froze at the sight. The entire castle was now shrouded in crimson radiance, looking less like a royal palace and more like a Demon King's fortress.
"Could it be… the seal has been broken?"
At that moment, Liya, now changed into fresh clothes, stepped out as well. Her face was pale and her steps unsteady, yet she clenched her teeth and stared out the window.
"The seal?"
"Yes. According to the Lisath royal records, beneath the royal capital lies a powerful force capable of annihilating Devilmen. But the legends also say that once the seal is broken, it will bring disaster to the entire world…"
"So after all that, you don't actually know what's going on either?"
Duanmu Huai glanced at her. Feeling his gaze, Princess Liya shuddered and said nothing.
"Hey! Watch how you speak to Her Highness!"
Kentō Kanami couldn't help but speak up. Duanmu Huai withdrew his gaze.
"Forget it. I'll go check things out. As for this place, it's your responsibility now. Whether you regroup the soldiers or do something else, do as you like—just don't cause any more trouble."
With that, Duanmu Huai walked straight out of the mansion.
"Honestly… I'm sorry, Your Highness. That man, he's just…"
Kentō Kanami sighed helplessly and turned toward Princess Liya.
At that moment, Liya's eyes were sparkling, her hands clenched tightly as she stared at Duanmu Huai's departing figure.
"…So wonderful… Lord Inquisitor…"
"Huh? Lord?!"
Kentō Kanami froze, wondering if she'd heard wrong.
"Lady Liya? What are you saying? That man—"
"He was amazing!"
"…Huh?"
"It was my first time being treated so roughly, so forcefully. No matter how I cried or screamed, he never stopped. No matter how I struggled, I couldn't break free. Yes… I felt it, Kanami! That man is my destined fate! That ruthless strength, that iron-hard domination that crushed both my body and mind! Ahh… my lord… Liya belongs to you forever. Please, break Liya however you wish!!!"
"W-w-w-what?!"
Kentō Kanami was completely dumbfounded.
What the hell is going on anymore?!
(End of Chapter)