Chapter 16: Damn! I was careless! I didn’t dodge.

The explosive declaration from Restel landed like a massive bomb in the VIP lounge. Yet he himself looked like a mischievous prankster who had just pulled off the perfect scheme—his face wore a smug, triumphant grin as he strode lightly out of the viewing area. He even turned back at the last second to wink at Rose.

At that moment, only two people remained in the lounge: Rose, whose cheeks were flushed crimson from sheer anger, and Ankhira, whose face bore a look of pure amusement, as though he had just witnessed the most entertaining show imaginable.

The purple-crystal eyes of Ankhira clearly spelled out “Oh~~~ I think I get it now” in gleaming gossip-fueled curiosity.

“Hm. There’s one thing I’m now absolutely certain of,” Ankhira said elegantly as he strolled over to the sofa and sat down. He picked up the wine glass he had set aside earlier and took a gentle sip. His gaze briefly rested on Rose’s puffed-up, furious little face.

“Anyone whom Restel personally crowns with the title of ‘wife’… could never possibly be just a ‘little kid.’”

Ankhira spoke amiably, deliberately emphasizing the word “wife” with obvious teasing intent.

Rose’s face instantly flushed even deeper—not from embarrassment, but from pure rage at Restel’s shamelessness and Ankhira’s teasing!

Her silver brows shot upward. Fury blazed in her silver eyes like an enraged kitten whose tail had been stepped on. She snapped back at Ankhira with absolute conviction:

“I am not his wife! We are not married! And we never will be! Don’t even think about it!”

Every word Rose hurled at Ankhira was like an icicle—sharp and freezing—yet her childish voice made the rebuke sound almost like playful scolding, which only made her angrier.

Watching the little dragon bristle and puff up, Ankhira found it even more entertaining.

He set down his wine glass, leaned forward slightly, propped his chin on one hand, and continued with great interest:

“So then, cute little Rose… where exactly did you come from? Judging by your dragon age…”

His gaze meaningfully swept over the pair of delicate silver horns on her head and her petite frame.

“…no matter how I look at it, you’re still firmly in the adorable child phase, right?”

Ankhira genuinely couldn’t understand it. Restel—who had always cared only for strength and conquest—suddenly showing such intense interest in a dragon whose mana fluctuations were weak and who was clearly still in the juvenile stage? At first he had assumed Restel was simply babysitting some distant relative’s child.

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. He scratched at his black-purple short hair in confusion, then turned his gaze toward the massive arena below.

Restel had already reached the center of the field and was casually flexing his wrist joints.

Never mind. He’d just wait until Restel came back and ask him directly.

Ankhira gave up trying to extract more information from the clearly “rebellious-phase” juvenile dragon in front of him.

Meanwhile, down in the arena.

Restel’s scarlet eyes locked onto the black-robed figure opposite him—Satan—whose presence was shrouded and impossible to read clearly. A curve of interest and wariness touched the corner of his mouth.

“Let’s make this quick.”

It had been a long time since he’d encountered a challenger who so deliberately concealed both race and aura. The more mysterious the opponent, the more it meant they had come prepared.

But the thought had barely formed when—

An abrupt change occurred.

Satan’s figure flickered like a ghost—without any warning, he vanished completely from his original spot.

At the same instant, the magical announcer’s voice screeched through the amplification array, cracking with excitement:

“Satan has disappeared—!! He melted into the shadows like air itself! Where will the fatal strike come from next?! Stay tuned!!”

The stands erupted instantly! Shouts of shock and wild speculation surged like tidal waves!

Restel’s smile deepened. A hunter’s gleam flashed in his eyes as he locked onto his prey.

Spatial concealment? Child’s play!

He decided to mobilize the vast mana within him—preparing to crudely and violently disrupt the entire arena’s space, forcing this skulking coward to reveal himself!

However—

Just as his mana was about to surge outward—

Zzzzt—!

A familiar, violent numbness exploded through his limbs like runaway current, converging straight at his heart. The immense power he had gathered—enough to tear space apart—suddenly snuffed out like a pinched fuse.

“!!!”

The calm expression on Restel’s face froze instantly. His scarlet pupils contracted sharply. An extremely ominous chill gripped his entire body.

It felt exactly like Rose’s earlier electric shock—the residual current still lingering inside him had clashed violently with his mana at the worst possible moment!

Shit—!

The realization exploded in his mind like thunder! In that split-second delay—

Whoosh—!

A sphere of eerie black flame—radiating an ominous aura—appeared silently right in front of Restel.

So close that he could feel the scorching distortion of the air from the flames.

Too fast!

Restel’s sharp mind registered the threat, but his body—paralyzed and stalled by the sudden mana disruption—couldn’t react in time to dodge effectively.

He could only watch helplessly as the deadly black-flame orb rapidly filled his vision. One single, crude thought flashed through his mind:

“Fuck! I got careless! No dodge—!”

BOOM—!!!

A deafening explosion roared! Black flames erupted alongside a violent shockwave!

“Satan!! Satan has successfully struck the Demon King—!!!”

The magical broadcast voice rang out across the arena, wild with disbelief and狂热 excitement!

The Satan-supporting faction exploded into earth-shaking cheers and roars!

“Satan! Satan! Satan!”

“This is a historic moment! Among tens of thousands of challengers, the first to ever land a direct hit on the Demon King himself! Satan! He has made history—!!”

Having landed the blow, Satan showed no mercy. His black robe whipped wildly as both hands moved in a blur!

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—!

One after another, spheres of burning black flame rained down like a dense meteor shower of death, screaming toward Restel’s former position from every direction—at speeds that left only afterimages.

The deafening chain of explosions merged into one continuous roar. The indestructible arena floor was blasted into crater after crater. Shattered stone and dirt sprayed outward like violent rain.

Thick smoke and the acrid stench of sulfur formed a massive dust curtain, instantly swallowing the center of the arena and completely obscuring everyone’s view.

“…”

The once-thunderous cheers from Restel’s supporters died instantly. A deathly silence spread.

Countless eyes stared fixedly at the roiling smoke cloud. Their hearts sank. Forget counterattacking—they couldn’t even see where the Demon King was anymore.

Rose—without realizing it—had climbed onto the wide windowsill of the VIP lounge. Her small hands gripped the cold frame tightly. Her silver eyes were filled with complicated emotions: anxiety, disbelief, and a trace of bewilderment.

This was supposed to be his “glorious moment”? This looked more like a one-sided beating!

Even though she knew demons were generally tough-skinned, watching those terrifying black-flame spheres slam down one after another—each explosion making her eyelids twitch violently—still sent a jolt through her.

The dull impact sounds seemed to pound directly on her heart. For someone who had only recently been a human priest, the sheer destructive spectacle was overwhelmingly intense.

Her gaze pierced through the swirling dust, desperately searching for Restel’s figure.

At the same time, a dark thought slipped uncontrollably into her mind: If Restel gets blasted to death right here… wouldn’t I… finally be free?

“No!”

Ankhira’s grave voice suddenly cut through her chaotic thoughts.

“This isn’t Restel’s usual strength!”

The playful smile had vanished from Ankhira’s face, replaced by pure seriousness. His brows were tightly knit. His right hand unconsciously rubbed his chin as his sharp gaze tried to pierce the thick smoke.

“I only sensed his mana surge at the very beginning. After that, it was like something forcibly cut it off. He hasn’t used his real power at all!”

Ankhira’s tone was filled with confusion and a faint trace of unease.

Rose—caught by the gravity in his voice—felt her own heart tighten. She asked instinctively:

“If Restel loses… what happens?”

Ankhira’s gaze remained locked on the battlefield. His voice dropped, cold and matter-of-fact:

“If Restel is defeated, there are only two possible outcomes.”

He slowly extended two long, elegant fingers.

“First: anyone in his inner circle—his most powerful and trusted subordinates—will be seen as threats by the new king. They will be eradicated. Not a single one spared.”

His tone was flat, as though describing something utterly ordinary.

“Second: those with lesser strength but certain… value…” Ankhira’s gaze flicked briefly toward Rose—her delicate little face and the silver horns on her head. “…such as the young and beautiful, or those with special talents… will be selected by the new king. To become favored servants, playthings… or the lowest of slaves.”

“!!”

Rose sucked in a sharp, icy breath. A bone-chilling cold shot up her spine, making her small body tremble involuntarily.

The faint glimmer of “freedom” she had entertained was instantly crushed. Overwhelming fear surged through her. She whipped her head back toward the arena and—against all logic—silently began to pray:

“You bastard… don’t lose!”