Chapter 428 The City of Ash Has Flown Away
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Over on Aki’s side, under the moonlit blossoms, he was planning to take advantage of the next full moon to engage in a “cultivation” session—with three women and one man—led by the loli succubus housewife, aimed at enhancing their strength, deepening their bonds, and refining their techniques.
But the other factions in the Demon King’s castle weren’t so relaxed.
Leohart, Curia, the Old Devils, Wilbert’s die-hard followers, and even the Khaos Brigade—who thrive on chaos—had all sent people to keep a close watch on Naruse Mio.
Shela and Lucia are free to come and go as they please, but Naruse Mio absolutely must not leave the Demon King’s Castle.
These factions cooperate with one another at times and clash at others; their relationships are complex and unclear, and their objectives differ, but at this very moment, they are all determined to ensure that Naruse Mio obediently participates in the duel.
Perhaps fearing that delays might lead to complications, just one day later—with two days still remaining until the Full Moon—a message arrived from Leohart’s side, announcing that the Colosseum would open tomorrow.
Curia didn’t interfere in this matter at all; they had long since made their preparations and were more than eager for Leohart and Naruse Mio to be trapped in the alternate dimension as soon as possible.
And so, with each faction harboring its own agenda, a live broadcast began, reaching all of Demon King Castle—or rather, all the Devils within Leohart’s domain.
As powerful mana surged, the sky above Demon King Castle began to be swept by gales and thunder.
Pitch-black spatial rifts flickered and crisscrossed, gradually revealing a bizarre realm filled with lava-spewing volcanoes, giant boulders, and structures floating in midair.
The sky, which had been as clear and blue as a wash, began to grow dark.
The arena was not as large as Demon King Castle, but it was by no means small; the shadow cast from above covered the entire Demon King Castle.
This was likely intentional on the part of the designer.
The Devils within the castle looked up at the arena, which resembled a floating island, and as they sensed the gloom surrounding them, a sense of solemnity and fear of Natural began to take root in their hearts.
Once the ancient arena fully materialized, Leohart was the first to fly inside.
The barrier surrounding the arena flickered briefly; upon detecting the Demon King’s bloodline within him, it offered no resistance.
Leohart casually chose a shattered floating boulder and stood quietly in place, waiting for Naruse Mio to join him.
Apparently to prevent cheating during the duel, the arena was equipped with a built-in projection system; everyone inside Demon King Castle could see every move made by those inside the arena in real time and with great clarity.
As for the Devils elsewhere, they could only watch a delayed broadcast transmitted via magic.
”Naruse Mio, it’s your turn to enter the arena. “
Leohart’s best friend, the handsome, white-haired secretary-general, whispered to the high school girl dressed in a uniform skirt.
As they had agreed earlier, Naruse Mio flew to the barrier of the arena and came to a stop.
Pretending to be hesitant, she agonized over it for a moment before voluntarily giving up. She then made a statement along the lines of not being interested in the Demon King’s position and that she was just an ordinary high school student, and that settled the matter.
Although it ended a bit anticlimactically, it was indeed the perfect solution.
”Mm.”
Naruse Mio casts a spell, and her black-and-white pleated skirt flutters in the wind, but when you actually look up, all you can see is a blur of magical light.
Even if you look past the magic’s veil, you can still see those dreaded safety panties.
As for the schoolgirl’s tight-fitting pink panties, only Aki could admire and play with them.
The red-haired schoolgirl, cradling a docile black cat, slowly floated up into the sky. Some of the Devils nearby spotted the lazy cat in her arms and frowned in displeasure.
An important duel was about to begin, and yet she was still holding her pet cat—it was simply outrageous…
Most people had similar thoughts running through their minds.
Because of Naruse Mio’s actions, they felt she was rude and immature.
Even Leohart’s henchmen—who could barely be considered part of her group—looked as if they wanted to say something.
Shela and Lucia Natural took it all in, but both pretended not to notice.
Just as everyone’s attention was drawn to a black cat nestled between the Schoolgirl’s voluptuous breasts—a sight that sparked envy in countless people—Naruse Mio had already reached the edge of the arena’s barrier.
After gathering her composure, just as Naruse Mio was about to proceed according to plan, a sudden shockwave erupted from the sky, which was churning with thunderstorms.
If she hadn’t been prepared, that force could have sent Naruse Mio flying across the arena.
But how could she possibly have been caught off guard?
With a simple magic barrier and a little footwork, Naruse Mio completely neutralized the force all on her own—without Aki even having to lift a finger.
Is that it?
Do those old fools at Curia really think Naruse Mio is some naive, brainless airhead?
The transparent shockwave was nearly invisible to the naked eye, but in the presence of a group of Demon King-class warriors, it was no different from someone physically pushing Naruse Mio.
Just as the powerful warriors were wondering whether Curia was genuinely stupid or just pretending, a figure suddenly appeared in the chaotic space where mana was disordered and spatial rifts appeared erratically.
The moment this figure appeared, it instantly flickered to Naruse Mio’s side and slammed a palm—charged with long-accumulated power—hard against her shoulder.
This time, Naruse Mio truly didn’t have time to react. It wasn’t just her; nearly everyone watching the sky was caught off guard.
Because of the Summoned Colosseum, the space in this area was extremely unstable, making teleportation impossible.
If one tried to force it, there was an 80 percent chance of being torn to pieces by spatial turbulence, and only a 20 percent chance of surviving with one’s body intact.
So when someone suddenly appeared using teleportation, everyone was startled and completely caught off guard.
Unfortunately, Aki was not among them.
Nothing is absolute; if it were, it would mean one’s strength is insufficient.
This space is unstable—even Demon King-class beings must tread carefully here—but for God-tier powerhouses, it’s merely a minor inconvenience.
The moment the shockwave appeared, Aki focused his full attention on it.
However, the person who unleashed the shockwave—or rather, the one who deliberately triggered it and then struck personally—seemed to possess some technique that Aki couldn’t quite discern just yet.
Aki might not have noticed if the attacker had remained hidden, but once they struck personally, there was absolutely no way they could remain undetected by him.
The attacker didn’t seem intent on killing Naruse Mio; they were merely trying to force her into the arena, targeting her shoulder.
Naruse Mio didn’t react in time, and Aki could have blocked the attack for her, but in that split second, he changed his mind and merely absorbed the damage.
The invisible clash of Mana pushed Naruse Mio a few steps sideways and forward; it was precisely those few steps that brought her within the arena’s boundaries.
Aki felt a ripple sweep over him, and then he, too, stepped inside unimpeded.
However, no one noticed this; everyone’s attention was drawn to the sudden appearance of the attacker, who appeared to possess God-tier strength.
Just as the Devils braced for battle, Lucia and Shela suddenly let out a sigh of relief.
Before Aki deliberately sent Naruse Mio into the arena, he made a point of notifying Lucia via the Soul Network, and Lucia then told Shela, so that both of them could rest easy while also preparing for what was to come.
Just then, the seemingly God-tier powerhouse let out a pitiful howl. With a crisp sound, something resembling a cloak dissolved into specks of light and vanished into thin air.
Immediately afterward, the hazy glow enveloping the attacker dissipated completely.
”Bellgus?!”
Finally, after the hazy glow had completely vanished, some Devils looked up at the sky in shock and disbelief, shouting in astonishment.
In the sky, Bellgus’s agonized wail continued, and cracks began to form across the hideous, purple face of the monster.
It wasn’t just his head; the torso beneath his clothes was also covered in cracks, just like a porcelain vase that would shatter at the slightest touch.
No, not “just like”—it was exactly like that.
The moment the cracks spread across Bellgus’s body, his wail reached its peak, then stopped abruptly.
The source of the wail was reduced to dust in a sudden gust of wind.
Even at that moment, some Devils still hadn’t realized what had happened.
But the smarter ones—such as Leohart’s best friend, the Secretary-General who served as the Demon King’s chief strategist—had grasped the crux of the matter.
He fixed Shela and Lucia with a deep stare, then turned his serious gaze to the… little black cat in the real-time synchronized projection.
As Naruse Mio and Aki entered, the synchronized projection “Natural” split the screen in half to accommodate them.
Some sharp-eyed observers who were familiar with the arena also noticed the black cat in Naruse Mio’s arms at that moment.
How on earth did that lazy black cat get in there? Could it be a Familiar?
No, that can’t be right—even a Familiar wouldn’t be able to get in…
Surely this cat doesn’t have Demon King blood, does it?
Their ancestors didn’t include a Demon King named the Great Emperor of Sorrow…
Compared to this black cat entering the arena, it made much more sense that the attacker was Bellgus.
Bellgus is a die-hard loyalist to Curia, so it’s not hard to understand why he would force Naruse Mio into the arena.
As for how he concealed his presence and remained unaffected by the environment, it’s not hard to guess when you consider the previous scenes.
He simply used a special Sacred Gear.
When the Sacred Gear was destroyed, the Natural could no longer be concealed.
As for the subsequent death, it may have been a backlash from the Sacred Gear’s destruction, or perhaps the work of the person who destroyed it, or maybe something else entirely.
In any case, the man is dead, his ashes have been scattered—no one cares about that anymore.
The old fools at Curia feel the same way.
In fact, even if Bellgus hadn’t died—with his Sacred Gear destroyed and his identity exposed—the people at Curia would have killed him the moment he returned.
Compared to Bellgus’s death, the old fools are far more heartbroken over the destruction of the Sacred Gear.
Even though they’ve accumulated resources over many years and have considerable depth of resources, they don’t possess many of these unique, powerful, and highly effective Sacred Gears.
Losing even one of them like this truly makes their hearts bleed.
Fortunately, Bellgus’s operation was a success, and Naruse Mio entered the arena; otherwise, they would have literally been spitting blood.
The Old Ones, watching from the shadows, glared grimly at the black cat on the projection screen, their unease over Bellgus’s sudden death growing ever stronger.
In the past, as soon as things went wrong, they would have retreated into hiding—which was the main reason they’d managed to survive this long.
But this time was different; they had no way out.
Even if they wanted to cower, Leohart and the other factions would never allow it.
After exchanging glances for a moment, their faces hardened with ferocity; they nodded fiercely and immediately began summoning their armies of Heroic Spirits, as well as the King of the Outer Gods’ Heroic Spirits.
Notes:
• Aki – A tall, handsome Kuoh Academy student and Red Dragon Emperor, he is a reincarnated cultivator who currently inhabits a pitch-black cat form with piercing azure eyes. Calculating and protective, he commands the Boosted Gear and Origin Blood. Connected to the Gremory household and Naruse Mio via a Soul Network, he manages a vast harem while navigating ancient conspiracies and his own feline instincts.
• Naruse Mio – A gifted 17-year-old and daughter of the late Demon King Wilbert, she is a defiant, tsundere high schooler with signature red twin ponytails. Aki’s loyal girlfriend, she carries her father’s legacy while navigating the Gremory peerage and political intrigue. Despite her naivety, she boldly rejects the throne and manipulation, relying on Aki’s guidance and their bond to survive the supernatural world.
• Leohart – The young, dark-skinned Demon King with purple magical tattoos and a penchant for combat-ready attire rules the Demon King Castle following Wilbert’s death. Possessing Wilbert’s bloodline, he governs reasonably despite being under the Curia’s thumb. Though struggling against ancient schemers, he remains strategically clever, balancing casual regality with blunt, commanding authority when threatened.
• Wilbert – The deceased former Demon King was a pacifist who made peace with Heroes and restored his realm after the Great War. A mysterious benefactor to the Naruse orphanage, he ensured his daughter, Mio, was raised by kind parents in the Human World. His immense power, sought by others, sealed Mio’s abilities. He was the ancestor of the ruling family, leaving behind his sister Sephie, lover Shela, and allies.
• Naruse – Mio Naruse is a fair-skinned, red-haired schoolgirl with a voluptuous build who serves as a Demon King heir and Bishop in Aki’s peerage. Protected by the Gremory household, this “Sister Flower” evolves from a hesitant tsundere into Aki’s devoted, polyamorous partner. She maintains deep, essential bonds with her sister Maria, friend Kurumi, and her adoptive parents, forming the core Naruse family.
• Curia – Demon King Castle elder. Proposed the Colosseum death match method as a political maneuver. Plans to exploit Leohart’s confinement to eliminate his supporters using spiritual power. Has contingencies to force Naruse Mio’s entry. Refrains from interfering with Naruse Mio and Leohart’s interactions, even encouraging them.
• Mio – Mio Naruse is a fair-skinned, voluptuous Kuoh Academy student with red twin-tails. As the Demon King’s daughter and Maria’s sister, she is a powerful Bishop in Aki’s peerage, currently managing sealed abilities involving gravity and hellfire. A proud, envious tsundere, she shares a deep, intimate bond with Aki while her presence often invites scrutiny, including comparisons to figures like Chisato.
• Lucia – A tall, elegant, white-haired succubus maid with an icy demeanor, she defies her nature through abstinence. As Shela’s daughter and Maria’s sister, she possesses Wilbert’s blood but leans toward her succubus lineage. Often overlooked, this companion of Naruse Mio is a confidante to the family, secretly vulnerable, and deeply invested in Aki, absorbing his energy while grappling with her feelings.
• Shela – A petite, white-haired Succubus Queen with ram horns and violet eyes, she balances youthful looks with a mature, cunning personality. A survivor of the Three-Way War and intuitive teacher, she lives in Aki’s household as a devoted partner and mother to Mio, Lucia, and Maria. Though she once sought to pair Aki with her daughters, she now claims him, blending matronly grace with strategic protection.
• Natural – A young succubus who remains unthreatened in the current timeline.
• Bellgus – A sadistic Devil and elite Cardinal Council agent who scavenged Zolgear’s legacy. Beneath formal attire, his monstrous, purple-skinned form radiates a sharp, cheap-perfume stench. An arrogant, predatory underling of the Curia, he uses trash-tier life-drain techniques to torment others. He actively opposes the protagonists, serving Leohart while hiding his vile nature behind political maneuvering.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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