--- Chapter 123 ---
Death.
Yes, Death.
That's what everyone honestly felt right now when facing Huo Yuhao before them. A pressure that makes their bones and hearts shiver like no tomorrow.
This person is no dragon.
He's a devil god.
'How is this even possible?' Ajuka Beelzebub thought to himself. He has been running down research based on Huo Yuhao's history because he was a well-known name for almost one thousand years.
Not even once people in the past mention Huo Yuhao possessed the ability to become a devil god. However, no matter how absurd it was, the person before them was genuine. They could feel their devil's blood and demonic power boiling profusely.
"Why so quiet?" The devil god whispered to them.
"Where is my answer, surrender or die?"
"The House of Lucifuge decided to surrender!" Grayfia immediately uttered her thoughts, leaving everyone speechless. Despite not wearing her trademark maid outfit because this meeting required Grayfia to be the Leader of the Lucifuge Clan.
And Grayfia decided to wear a formal white dress with a blue flower on her left bosom. She dislikes it because the dress makes her somewhat lost. At least the blue flower makes it bearable to wear.
'Ah, I want to wear my maid outfit again...' Grayfia thought while having a solemn expression.
The other devil thinks Grayfia pondered about the survival of the devil's community, but she doesn't care about that.
"We surrender to the Devil God." The Extra Devil Families' representatives, like Lucifuge Clan, announced firmly. Grayfia warned them about this matter, so they could make the right decision without looking like a fool.
The head of the Belphegor Clan, Roygun Belphegor, licked her lips hungrily because the rumored Dragon God or maybe she should call him Devil God now is more attractive than she thought.
'Bearing his child would be an honor. I understood why the Captain decided to pass her guardian position to me now.' Roygun thought to herself.
Roygun is a beautiful young woman in her twenties with long yet wavy cherry blossom hair and two horns protruding from her head. She wears a high-cut formal dress with high slits and has a well-endowed bust and slim waist.
Well, they don't have another choice in the first place.
Who would be stupid enough to choose to die in the legendary Dragon God's hands?
"I won't surrender!"
"Even if my life is at stake, I'll never let the devil race fall into your hand!"
A young-looking man stood up from his seat. He was from the house of Paimon and had somewhat feminine features with short white hair. Yet, the only thing noticeable about him is his foolish bravery.
Even though he looks young, his age is similar to Misla's.
Huo Yuhao stared at him lazily and returned, "I see... Do you want to bring your whole family into this or yourself?"
The current lord of Paimon was confused. He doesn't understand what Huo Yuhao means for a second, flaring his demonic energy to resist Huo Yuhao's True Daemon's Aura.
"M-Myself!" He proudly said.
BOOM!
"AAH-!"
Everyone watched lord Paimon explode into a blood mist, splattering the white table in red. It was such a cold scene because they could hear the last shriek before he died.
Huo Yuhao moved his gaze back uninterestedly and asked, "Is there anyone who wants to die?"
They couldn't say anything.
"I surrender..." The lord of the Phenex Clan said.
Over 32 clans followed shortly after, shivering from the inside because they didn't want to experience the same thing as Lord Paimon. Yes, this is what Huo Yuhao wanted from the beginning.
An example ruled by instant fear. It's cruel, but Huo Yuhao doesn't need a subordinate with foolish bravery.
Not in a million years, Huo Yuhao would let his subordinate charge proudly and blindly to the battlefield, only to get one shot by the enemy.
"There are 40 more, so what's your answer?" Huo Yuhao crossed his arms and watched Venelana standing behind Kromael Bael. Even though Lord Bael had a calm expression, he could feel the half-assed scheme behind that face.
As for Venelana, she hasn't shown a sign of awakening.
'This is troublesome...' Huo Yuhao thought while telling Kuroka through telepathy to appear.
Kuroka jumped from Grayfia's lap and turned into her human form, shocking everyone on the spot as they recognized her. The infamous reincarnated devil killed her peerage master and became an SS-rank criminal.
"Hello, there~!" She greeted them casually.
"You might think it's a wild black cat, but it's actually me!!"
"Kono Kuroka da~!!"
Huo Yuhao pushed Kuroka away and said, "Naberius Clan, let's hear your explanation. Since your clan is the one who started to plaster criminal titles on my adorable pet, what's her crime?"
"Mou~!" Kuroka pouted because she wanted to relieve the mood slightly.
Naberius Clan's Head released cold sweat and sensed everyone's gazes on him. He nervously sighed and said, "S-She killed her master, our second heir."
"And?" Huo Yuhao smiled in amusement.
"She also learned the forbidden technique Senjutsu that makes her go mad and kill everything before her eyes." The Naberius's Head answered immediately. "I-It's dangerous and could cause chaos in the Underworld."
"AND?" Huo Yuhao used Ruler Authority and dragged the man from Naberius Clan to the floor. "There is more, right?"
"Let me help you with that."
Huo Yuhao grabbed the Naberius Clan's Lord by his head and lifted him, letting demonic power invalidate the man's mind. He used magic to check everything inside and smirked because something was interesting here.
"Chaos God Slayer Magic: Mind Projection." Since imagination and demonic power are all needed to cast magic in this world, Huo Yuhao could easily do something like this.
Such a lousy magic system it is.
Huo Yuhao glanced at the sky and saw a large screen covering it. A picture started to play even with audio, letting everyone know what happened years ago in the Naberius Clan.
"What should we do now?"
"The laboratory exploded before the product even finished..."
"We have been trying to create artificial Super Devils. And with the backing of the Great King Faction, we should be able to create one now."
"Tch, if only that human researcher is a bit faster."
"Now he died with his pathetic pussy wife."
"What about their children? They have two daughters, right?"
"The older one, what was her name again? Kuroka could endure the modification because we had her younger sister on our hands."
"Hehehe, what a stupid cat. Kuroka's mother and father died in the laboratory while she was waiting for her demise."
"As long as she showed a favorable result, we could copy the method and spread it among the other nobles... Imagine an army of Super Devils."
"We aren't talking about the Underworld anymore. Even the whole world will be ours."
Silence.
A complete silence ensued in the demonic land.
No one could utter a word because the scene before them was too shocking. Some devils knew about this already, but they didn't even bat an eye and mixed well with others.
"Kuroka, come here." Huo Yuhao called over the Nekoshou.
Kuroka knew what Huo Yuhao was about to do when witnessing his magic and breathed out to calm herself. It's been years, and she has become stronger than before.
She had to let the trauma away.
"I'm ready, nyaa~!" She hugged Huo Yuhao, which caused Grayfia and the other women in the vicinity to frown.
Huo Yuhao patted Kuroka's head and showed everyone a distant memory of her when the Naberius Clan decided to use her Nekoshou bloodline in the experiment.
"AAAARRGGHH!"
Everyone saw a young Kuroka bound into a wall with several chains firmly locked on her limbs. She was "horribly." fed with unknown potions and substances to increase her metabolism and demonic power, causing an eruption of energy.
"Please, don't do this to my sister."
"I'll endure it!"
"I'll do everything!!" Kuroka's desperate voice echoed in the field.
Blerg!
A lady from the house of Dantalion pukes on the spot. She covered her mouth in dread because the scene was too cruel for this age of the devil race. In the past, something like this wouldn't be a problem, but in this peaceful era, something evil actually happened.
It's not just her.
Everyone felt uncomfortable watching this video.
However, the scene continued without giving them a chance to calm themselves down. Kuroka was experimented on for years and reached the level where one would be insane mentally and physically, but she persisted for her sister. And the Naberius Clan will watch and heal her for a new experiment.
Until that day, Kuroka reached a power beyond common sense and killed her peerage master. She got blamed for being a mad killer, which Naberius Clan covered to bury their immoral action.
"Are you okay?" Huo Yuhao asked Kuroka calmly.
"Yes." Kuroka nodded with a smile on her face. She was relieved because everyone knew the truth now.
Huo Yuhao looked down at the Naberius Clan's head and indifferently commented, "What should we do with this trash, everyone?"
"I think executing him will be too soft of a punishment, no?"
"That's why I'll grant him a special thing... Endless Suffering."
Huo Yuhao waved his hand, and a massive holy sword appeared in the sky, releasing a bright golden light. He casually dropped his finger and watched the Naberius Clan's head getting stabbed in the chest.
"ARGH!"
"HOT!!"
"HOT-! AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!"
Holy element is the bane of the devil.
However, Huo Yuhao's holy element is much more than that.
It's the element of genesis, representing the beginning.
"That sword will burn you for eternity. And this chain will drag you to the prison I created personally." Huo Yuhao's eyes glowed with crimson light.
"Rot in there..."
BOOM!
A large chain stabbed the Naberius Clan's head in the stomach and dragged him into Huo Yuhao's Sub-Dimensional Space. A prison he used to store Ocean Spirit Beast in the past.
"No!"
"NO!"
"PLEASE!"
"THIS IS MY FAULT!"
"PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!"
"ARRGGHH-!"
BOOM!
Naberius Clan's Head was gradually dragged into space and disappeared from the face of demonic land.
"Who's next?" Huo Yuhao smiled at them.
'This guy is a Devil God...' Everyone thought at the same time.
Huo Yuhao ignored the terrified gazes and told Kuroka to stay on his side because the next target would be a little dramatic. He cracked his knuckle and looked at Lord Bael.
"Lord Bael, do you have something to say?" He asked Kromael, making everyone change their attention to the current head of the Bael Clan.
Kromael maintained a calm face and responded, "Pardon?"
"I'm innocent, Dragon God."
"Eh, I don't even ask about your crime, though?" Huo Yuhao returned with a grin.
"Innocent, your ass, that's it."
Huo Yuhao moved his gaze to Venelana and observed her flat mask-like expression. He could feel the chaotic spiritual energy in her mind and sighed inside because it wasn't too late.
To put it shortly, Venelana currently has an imbalanced connection between her spiritual energy and physical form. One wrong move and she would fall into a sleeping disease like Misla.
"Venelana Bael, can you come here?" Huo Yuhao stretched his hand to her. Their distance isn't far, but it feels like an endless field for Venelana.
'Stay in your position and guard me against that lunatic!' Kromael ordered Venelana through mental connection.
Huo Yuhao noticed and questioned, "You don't want to? Do you hate me that much, Venelana?"
"I'm sorry, Lord Yuhao. I can't leave my brother..." Venelana answered naturally. "His safety is my priority."
"Why are you crying then?" Huo Yuhao suddenly commented.
"Crying..."
Everyone watched tears running from Venelana's beautiful eyes. It's weird because she kept maintaining a smile like it was an "innate." program.
"Why... Why am I crying?" Venelana wiped her eyes.
"It doesn't stop."
"Eh?"
"Why..."
"Am..."
'Stop CRYING!' Kromael ordered, but it wasn't working.
Venelana gradually lifted her head and saw Huo Yuhao waiting for her. A source of light and hope she had been waiting for, but she was afraid to take a step.
'Hurry up...' An unknown voice whispered into her ears.
'My son is waiting for you. Grab his hand.'
Venelana crawled on the floor and groaned because the slave seal prevented her from getting away from Kromael.
She kneeled and gradually stood up, exposing her Power of Destruction to the whole world.
BOOM!
Venelana's dress got destroyed, and only some remaining pieces covered her body. Except for one spot, her back.
Gasp!!
Everyone was shocked because a wicked pattern banned for hundreds of years was "faintly." plastered on Venelana's back. A magic technique binds one's freedom like a leash, which had disappeared after the civil war.
"S-Slave Seal..."
"How did the Ruin Mistress get a Slave Seal on her body??"
"This is."
"BAEL CLAN, YOU BASTARD!"
"That's why..." Diehauser Beliel's eyes widened because no wonder the infamous Venelana Bael had been acting weird in the last few hours. They barely knew each other for a century, but she suddenly tried to make an advance on him today.
Even though Venelana tried to be intimate with him, Diehauser Belial rejected her because he always had an issue with the Bael Clan. That's why he was suspicious of everyone related to this clan.
After all, his cousin's death was related to Zekram Bael.
Clak!
Venelana's high heels made contact with the floor.
One step at a time.
She walked to Huo Yuhao slowly, but the Slave Seal on her back burned like hell. She endured a lot of pain and forcibly functioned physically with sheer will alone.
Crack!
The Slave Seal cracked because of Venelana's Demonic Power.
Left with no choice, Kromael Bael prepared a teleportation magic and shouted, "VENELANA, IGNITE YOUR POWER OF DESTRUCTION AND KILL HUO YUHAO FOR ME!"
"Yes-! NO-! Yes, broThEr." Venelana lunged forward and hugged Huo Yuhao, crying blood because she didn't want to do this.
She doesn't want to hurt Huo Yuhao.
Venelana only met Huo Yuhao yesterday, but he was the only one who comforted her and gave her an unknown warmth of affection. Something she was longing for since arriving in this world.
"I don't want to..." Venelana mumbled while having blood running down her cheeks.
"YUHAO-SAMA!" Grayfia panicked because Venelana's demonic power could injure even the God of Death. Full ignition would destroy the whole Demonic Land into chaos.
"EVERYONE, COVER YOURSELF!" Sirzechs shouted while creating a barrier.
The other devil kings followed after him and created a barrier to protect everyone in the area.
"HAHAHA, DIE!!" Kromael frantically shouted while disappearing with teleportation magic.
BOOOOM!
...
...
Quiet.
Very quiet.
[You have upgraded "Worthless." into the "Concept of Nullification." skill]
[You have nullified Venelana Bael's Power of Destruction]
"AAAH!" Venelana's Slave Seal crumbled from her back, leaving a bloody scar. She hugged Huo Yuhao and cried to all her content because she was finally free.
Huo Yuhao hugged Venelana back and caressed her slightly burnt brown hair. "Everything will be fine now. Good job for fighting back, Venelana."
"Go sleep. I'll deal with the rest for you." He lightly kissed Venelana's forehead.
CRACK!
A wide crack suddenly appeared in the space, which allowed everyone to see a dimensional gap. The dark red color made several shivers in the spot.
"This ability..." Roygun Belphegor was speechless. Isn't this her clan's ability to make a crack on anything?
"W-What's this!" Kromael's voice appeared from the crack.
Huo Yuhao handed Venelana to Kuroka and grabbed the crack with his bare hand, dragging Kromael back to the demonic land.
Huo Yuhao's face is unbearably cold, and even his contracted souls had never seen this side of him.
"Chaos God Slayer Magic: Immortal Phoenix Regeneration."
"W-Wait!" Kromael was shocked.
"I can explain-!"
"PUH!" Kromael's face was smashed by Huo Yuhao's hand,
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
Huo Yuhao smashed his face continuously and watched the Chaos God Slayer Magic healing the devi. He didn't let Kromael heal completely and beat him to death.
"ARGH!"
BAM!
"ME-!"
BAM!
"PL-!"
BAM!
"PLE-!"
BAM!
"ASE-!!!"
BAM!
"PLEASE-!"
BAAM!
"HAVE-!"
BOOM!
Huo Yuhao concentrated Power of Destruction in his fist and punched Kromael's face, causing a small explosion that erased half of Lord Bael's head.
"M-Mercy..."
BOOM!
Huo Yuhao emotionlessly pulverized Kromael's body into dust, but the magic cast beforehand will gradually heal the devil. Kromael should have thanked Huo Yuhao because he healed his leg and hand.
What a kind man Huo Yuhao is.
"Stop this!" A loud shout appeared out of nowhere.
It was a middle-aged man with black hair and violet eyes who wore noble attire. He has an aura of firm dignity that exudes from him.
"Stop this, Dragon God."
"Kill my son... Stop torturing him like this."
Yes, this middle-aged man is Zekram Bael.
He awakened from his sleep because of the True Daemon's Aura.
"What if I don't want to?" Huo Yuhao answered while punching Kromael.
"Are you saying that your son deserved death?"
"No, No... Not in my dictionary."
"Who do you think you were?" He continued, which left Zekram quiet for a moment.
Zekram looked at the sky and said, "Looks like I don't have a choice either here."
"I always thought this time would come eventually."
"That's why I searched for something. Something to fight you, Dragon God."
"Face my strongest weapon, Ingvild."
"She's the one who rules over the dragon race."
"Balance Breaker: Nereid Kyrie's Hymn of Endless Green Sea." A feminine voice reverberated in the area.
Serafall Leviathan trembled because this feeling in her guts was no mistake. She saw a beautiful foreign girl who appeared to be in her late teens with a "whimsical aura." She has long purple hair and orange eyes.
However, she wore nothing but rag-like clothes for some reason.
"Another Slave Seal..." She frowned when seeing a faint magic mark on Ingvlid's forehead.
A loud and cold song invaded everyone's ears, pressuring them.
People who had a relation to the Dragon Race feel even weaker because this ability weakens them to a powerless state.
[You have resisted "Perish Song of Ingvild Leviathan." entirely] Evo notified Huo Yuhao.
[True Lord of Dragons(Passive) resisted the Dragon Conqueror's Charm]
[Ding! You have triggered a Quest]
[Name: Save the last descendant of the Leviathan]
[Objective: Save Ingvild Leviathan(0/1)]
[Reward: 10 Silver Upgrading Tickets and World Travelling Ticket's Piece(1/4)]
[Do you want to accept the Quest?]
[Yes/No]
"Yes."
Huo Yuhao stood up and kicked Kromael's body to the sky, giving it to Zekram Bael. He created a portal and slammed his hand on Ingvlid's forehead, using the Concept of Nullification on the Slave Seal.
"Y-YOU!" Zekram felt the connection between him and Ingvlid was "suddenly." broken by an external force.
His Power of Destruction erupted and rushed into the air, flying toward Huo Yuhao at an alarming pace.
Huo Yuhao nullified this ability and said, "Like father, Like Son."
"Both of you are trash, huh?"
Zekram Bael frowned and tried to run away, but Huo Yuhao had already nullified all kinds of magic related to space manipulation within 100 kilometers.
He pointed his finger at Zekram and added, "This will teach you a lesson..."
"It wouldn't kill you two, but it should be enough to show the difference between us."
"Don't mess around with me."
Huo Yuhao clenched his hand to flow his demonic power into Chaos God Slayer Magic. He breathed in and indifferently chanted, "The Time of Birth Hath Comes."
"I Am the Remedy of Eternity."
"Now, burn like the garbage you are..."
"Ars Almadel Salomonis."
A massive energy column akin to a star appeared above the demonic land and spread over 100 kilometers. It flowed out of the space and poured over the area like a wave of destruction.
A powerful beam of light followed after, chasing over Zekram and Kromael.
"N-No... What's this."
"This isn't the power of this world."
BOOOOM!
All things before Huo Yuhao got erased from existence.
A young man floated in the sky alone with a fainted purple-haired girl in his embrace.
Huo Yuhao nullified the attack before it became too chaotic and looked down at the meeting table. They are staring at him with fear.
The devil kings kneeled on the ground and shouted, "WE SURRENDER TO THE DEVIL GOD."
"ARS GOETIA!"
The 72 pillars. Well, 69 pillars clan heads stared at each other and kneeled simultaneously. The Extra Devil/Demon Clans governed by Grayfia also kneeled on the ground.
"WE SURRENDER TO THE DEVIL GOD."
"YOUR MAJESTY."
"ARS GOETIA!!"