What a troublesome affair… but it couldn't be helped.
"I'll deal with them myself," I declared, stepping forward.
Before I could act, Shion moved in front of me, raising her hand.
"Atem-sama, please hold on. Leave this to me."
Benimaru's fiery gaze said he wanted to fight too, but when his eyes met Shion's, they seemed to silently agree on the order. Shion's subordinates were the ones these fools injured—this fight was hers to take.
"Oh, so you're the entourage of Demon Lord Atem?" the man with the earring stepped forward, his grin sharp and confident. "My old man told me about you. You're that female warrior who crushed Clayman, aren't you? Heh. This is gonna get fun."
"Hey, big bro," the one with the nose-ring laughed, his voice low and rough. "You can have the Demon Lord. But leave us a little something to play with."
"Mm-mhm," the plump one with the mouth-ring added, licking his lips. "Even one's fine. I'm starving."
I narrowed my eyes slightly. Their father had spoken of Clayman and Shion. That alone told me enough—they weren't ordinary wanderers. Their magicules were strong, easily matching Clayman's unawakened strength. Sons of a Demon Lord, most likely.
Guy? No. Milim, Ramiris, Luminous? Definitely not. Leon and Dino wouldn't waste their time here either. That left Dagruel… yes, that fit too well.
Shion stepped forward, her expression hardening.
"Silence. We're in the middle of the reception ceremony for Atem-sama. I'll finish this quickly—by taking on all three of you at once."
The trio burst out laughing.
"Ah?" the earring guy mocked.
"Oi oi oi, are you looking down on us?" the nose-ring guy barked.
"I was gonna hold back since you're a woman," the earring guy smirked. "But never mind that. You'll be crying soon."
"Mm-hm, my stomach's already growling," mouth-ring added with a twisted smile.
I frowned slightly. Shion's tone was sharp—she was truly serious.
"Benimaru," I murmured.
"Let her do it," he answered smoothly. "She's better than me at holding back."
His swift reply left no room for debate. I exhaled slowly and gave a slight nod. "Very well."
Still, I wasn't about to let the city get torn apart. I proposed a change of venue. To my surprise, the brothers agreed easily. They followed us with arrogant grins, openly inspecting the city as if they owned it. Soon, we reached the newly built colosseum.
"Hey, woman," the earring guy called out as we stood in the arena. "I admire your boldness. Take back your words now, and I'll pretend this never happened."
Shion sneered at him, her killing intent sharp as a blade.
"I'll give you a lesson," she said, her voice cutting through the air, "on how true combat power isn't decided by the amount of magicule you have."
The stands filled quickly. Soldiers, merchants, adventurers—everyone came to watch. A fight between the trio who'd challenged me and Shion, the warrior who'd once crushed Clayman.
The bell didn't need to ring. The moment the fight started, it was a storm.
The mouth-ring brute moved first, launching himself at Shion like a cannonball—his size didn't match his speed. Shion didn't even flinch. She met him mid-charge with a spinning roundhouse kick that cracked the air. He flew like a boulder into the earring guy, who stumbled back with a curse.
The nose-ring fool froze for a heartbeat. That was enough. Shion dashed forward and, before he could react, grabbed his collar and arm—then flipped him over her shoulder like a rag doll. His skull slammed into the stone pavement with a sickening thud. He wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.
"UHHHH! How dare you harm my bro!" mouth-ring roared, charging from behind.
He tried to grab her, to lock her movements. Foolish. Shion's strength far exceeded his.
"What the hell! I'm supposed to be stronger—!"
She didn't even let him finish. She glared down at him with contempt, twisted his arm like a steel cable—
Snap.
The sound echoed through the arena. His arms bent at an unnatural angle. He screamed in pain, but Shion showed no mercy. Her fist came down like a hammer, smashing into his face with brutal precision. He crumpled.
Only the eldest remained. Earring guy moved swiftly, launching a high kick aimed at Shion's head. She leaned back just enough to dodge it.
A grin crept onto his face. "Got you," he whispered.
The moment he stopped midair, I sensed it—danger. His leg dropped like a guillotine, aiming to crush her skull.
THUD!
But his foot didn't crush anything. It shattered instead. Shion's head was like tempered steel. His face twisted in shock as Shion spun low and kicked his remaining leg out from under him, shattering it as well.
He hit the ground with a roar of pain. Shion straddled him in one fluid motion. Then the rain of fists came down—merciless, thunderous. Each impact echoed across the arena, a brutal rhythm that silenced the crowd.
The once-cocky brother couldn't even scream anymore.
And I… simply watched, arms crossed, the weight of my presence filling the colosseum like a storm about to break.
As such, Shion emerged victorious. She didn't even have the chance to unsheathe her beloved sword, Hercules Ex, before giving the three a brutal beatdown. Her power had clearly grown. She'd defeated opponents with a higher magicule pool than her without even breaking a sweat. Taking on three at once and winning… that was terrifying.
"Benimaru," Atem said with a firm, deep voice, his golden eyes fixed on Shion.
"Yes," Benimaru responded calmly, a faint smirk crossing his face. "It's remarkable. She's mastered how to control her strength perfectly."
Atem's expression remained composed, though an undeniable pressure radiated from him. The sheer intensity of his presence made even those standing nearby instinctively straighten their posture.
This wasn't just brute strength. Shion's growth was a result of both battle experience and the brutal training she had forced herself through. By channeling her mana differently, she had surpassed her previous limits.
She stood there, not even winded, towering like a warrior who had proven her worth. The three brothers were sprawled on the ground, moaning in pain, unable to believe what had just happened.
"Pardon me… is this still not enough?" Shion tilted her head slightly, glaring down at her opponents. Her blood was still running hot, and her voice carried that dangerous edge.
"No," Atem said sharply, his voice resonating with a commanding weight that instantly froze her in place. "That's more than enough."
His words weren't loud, but they carried an authority that made it clear there would be no further debate.
"Now that you've learned your lesson," Atem spoke, his presence swallowing the space like a storm building above, "don't ever think about challenging us again. Other Demon Lords won't be as merciful as we were today. Be wise."
The brothers trembled as his aura brushed against their senses. The nose-ring one, who had just regained consciousness, nodded desperately. They were cocky enough to challenge a Demon Lord's domain, but after this, they understood the gap between arrogance and reality.
"She's stronger than how Father described her…" the earring-wearing brother muttered weakly.
"Then that means Lord Atem must be—"
"Stronger," the second brother finished.
"Mmm… I'm hungry," the third one mumbled in a daze.
Their eyes shifted toward Atem, and though one of them still had a strange expression, the respect was evident.
"So," Atem said, his tone suddenly heavier, his gaze sharp as a blade. "Who sent you?"
The air tensed. His golden aura pulsed faintly, making it impossible to lie under the Pharaoh's gaze.
The eldest brother spoke first. "Yes, Sir! We are the sons of Demon Lord Dagruel. I am Dagura."
"I am Liura," said the second.
"I'm Debura," the third added nervously.
They confessed without hesitation, their voices shaking slightly.
Atem's eyes narrowed, the weight of his stare making their shoulders tense. "You admitted that quickly," he said. "Are you sure you should be saying this so easily?"
"Yeah… but our old man wanted us to train under you," Dagura replied.
"We were just messing around a bit," Liura added with a nervous laugh. "But he got mad… really mad."
"Hmm-hmm. He chased us out," Debura admitted bluntly.
Atem exhaled slowly, but the sharpness in his expression didn't fade. So Dagruel decided to throw his rowdy sons here without even asking me, he thought. That fool…
Still, it wasn't entirely bad. It was an opportunity to solidify connections without unnecessary conflict. And with Shion as their trainer, they'd learn discipline fast. She was harsher than even Hakurou when it came to drilling soldiers. Atem had witnessed it before — her methods left no room for weakness.
As the three brothers struggled to sit up, Atem's gaze remained fixed on them like the sun's unblinking eye. There was no need to raise his voice. His authority alone silenced everything around them.
"Since you're here," Atem said coldly, "you'll train. And you will obey. Defiance will not be tolerated."
The three brothers straightened instantly, not daring to speak a word.
The Pharaoh had spoken.