When even the final—and strongest—petrification Gift had been neutralized, Rikuō collapsed where he stood.
His legs gave out completely.
He slumped to the ground, face drained of color, and forced the two words out through trembling lips.
"I… surrender."
He understood it perfectly well.
If even Algal's ultimate authority had failed to affect Ren Kuroda, then Perseus no longer had the slightest chance of victory.
Rather than endure further humiliation—further pain—it was better to concede now.
Outside the Game Space, the commotion had already spread.
The moment Ren had invoked his authority as a Demon King and forcibly initiated a Gift Game against Perseus, the scale of the disturbance made it impossible to ignore.
When black documents began descending from the sky, the entire Eastern Outer Gate fell into panic.
It had been many years since the last Demon King invasion.
Black documents meant calamity.
No one wanted to become the next sacrifice.
With such an uproar unfolding, the Eastern District's Floor Master—Shiroyasha—could hardly remain uninvolved.
By the time she arrived at the Perseus palace where it had all begun, the Gift Game had already concluded.
Ren and Rikuō reappeared in the original space.
Ren looked as though he had merely finished a light warm-up.
Rikuō, on the other hand, sat collapsed on the ground, eyes hollow with despair.
The instant he spotted Shiroyasha—
He scrambled up like a drowning man grasping at driftwood and rushed toward her, shouting hysterically.
"Aren't you the Floor Master of the Eastern District?! How could a Demon King appear right under your nose?! Where's your responsibility?! The Demon King is right here—do your duty and eliminate him!"
Perseus had lost the Gift Game.
That meant the Community would soon exist in name only.
But when Rikuō saw Shiroyasha, hope flared again.
Since Ren had won the Gift Game, everything belonging to Perseus now technically belonged to him.
However—
If Shiroyasha defeated Ren, then perhaps Perseus could still be preserved.
Watching Rikuō scream at her in desperation, Shiroyasha's face made no attempt to hide her disgust.
She had already heard the full story from Black Rabbit.
Perseus's current predicament was entirely Rikuō's own doing.
He lacked the strength to back up his arrogance, yet insisted on provoking others.
Worse—he had mocked someone else's cherished companion.
To Shiroyasha, that kind of behavior wasn't just disgraceful.
It was beneath contempt.
Besides, Perseus had only recently descended from the Middle Levels. They weren't originally part of the Eastern Outer Gate's Communities.
She owed them nothing.
"When we first met," Shiroyasha said, turning her gaze toward Ren, "I already felt you were unusual. I invited you to become a Floor Master candidate for the Eastern District because I thought you'd be a strong deterrent against Demon Kings."
Her golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"I didn't expect that just a few days later… you'd become one yourself."
Ren gave a faint, self-deprecating smile.
"To be honest, I didn't expect it either. One second I was a member of a Community that claimed it would defeat Demon Kings."
He exhaled softly.
"The next second, I became the very thing I wanted to defeat."
He glanced down briefly.
"Maybe those fairy tales weren't exaggerating after all. Perhaps dragon slayers really do become dragons in the end."
Of all the people he didn't want to face right now—
Shiroyasha was at the top of the list.
There was no complicated reason.
Against this white-haired loli with terrifying authority—
He had zero confidence.
"Well," Shiroyasha said lightly, snapping her folding fan shut. "It was your choice."
In the next instant—
An overwhelming aura erupted from her body.
Her playful demeanor vanished.
Her gaze sharpened into something absolute.
"I am the Floor Master of the Eastern District. You are a Demon King who initiated an attack."
Her voice carried no humor now.
"Eliminating invading Demon Kings and maintaining order in the lower levels—that is my duty."
She took a step forward.
"This won't be like before. There will be no trial-style Gift Game this time."
Her eyes locked onto his.
"Have you prepared yourself?"
"Lady Shiroyasha, please!" Black Rabbit hurried forward. "This is all a misunderstanding! Ren didn't truly want to become a Demon King—he only did it to save our companion! Perseus provoked him first—"
"Black Rabbit."
Shiroyasha cut her off.
"This has nothing to do with No Name. That boy withdrew from your Community before becoming a Demon King."
Her tone was firm.
"That was his will."
She glanced at Ren again.
"Right now, there are only two parties here. A Demon King… and a Floor Master."
Even if she had once maintained friendly ties with No Name—
Her duty came first.
"So it's going to come down to a fight after all," Ren said quietly.
He didn't look surprised.
"But I'll admit it—at my current strength, I don't stand a chance against you."
He paused.
"In that case… I suppose I'll have to lean into my role as a Demon King."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"Even if it means playing dirty."
He raised his hand.
"Star Spirit Algal. Manifest."
When Ren had defeated Perseus in the Gift Game, Algal's pendant had become his possession.
Now, without hesitation, he released her.
The towering, shackled Star Spirit appeared once more.
"Shiroyasha," Ren said evenly, "you understand what kind of authority Algal possesses."
He met her gaze without flinching.
"I might not be able to defeat you. But I can hold you off for a while."
His voice remained calm.
"And during that time… Algal can petrify the entire Seventh Outer Gate."
His eyes flicked sideways toward Izayoi and Black Rabbit.
"On your side, aside from you personally… I doubt there's anyone capable of stopping her."
That wasn't entirely true.
Izayoi, for one, likely had a way.
Perhaps even Black Rabbit.
But the real question was—
Would they choose to stand against Ren?
"So let's make a deal, Shiroyasha."
Ren's tone hardened.
"Let me leave the Eastern Outer Gate peacefully."
"In exchange, I won't take Perseus's banner or name. I won't strip their remaining Gifts."
"I'll only take Leticia… and Algal."
His expression didn't waver.
"Otherwise—even if you manage to stop me—"
He gestured outward.
"The entire Eastern Outer Gate will pay a heavy price."
And this time—
There was no humor in his voice at all.
"That," Ren Kuroda said, "I can guarantee."