Void gazed at the receding Demon Realm and urged his subordinate.
“Hurry up, let’s go already.”
“Yes, sir!”
While Void could easily travel in an instant, he chose to show off his power and his formidable subordinate to the Demon Kings, driven by his need for display.
This desire for spectacle and the need to flaunt his authority forced him to opt for a less efficient mode of travel.
“The wind feels nice and refreshing.”
“Does it feel refreshing, sir?”
“Silence.”
“Yes, sir.”
The mouth of the dragon carrying Void—no, what was once a dragon—clamped shut.
The dragon’s body burned, emitting ominous black smoke.
Its hollow sphere of a heart barely kept its charred body from completely crumbling.
This dragon, more a trophy than a companion, was a memento from Void’s battle against Hader 500 years ago, back when Void was ranked 30th among the Demon Kings.
This so-called “Void Dragon” was the result of Void’s creation, a new species that solidified his place as the number one Demon King.
Void opened his status window to check his titles.
[Entity Name: Void.]
[Species Name: ???]
[Lv. MAX]
[Strength: 972]
[Magic: ???]
[Health: 355]
[Titles: Demon King of the Void, Creator of the Void, and 5 others.]
Seeing his titles brought a satisfied smile to Void’s lips.
Before he knew it, the dark sky had brightened significantly.
A blue sky and a beautiful green meadow came into view, signaling they had left the Demon Realm.
The scenery seemed to wave at Void.
“Now return. There’s no need to flaunt further.”
“Yes, sir.”
After saying that, Void jumped down from the sky.
Boom!
Crack!
“Ow…”
Void tried to land as stylishly as possible, but ended up twisting his ankle.
He couldn’t use healing magic just yet—not with the dragon still flying in the distance.
If the dragon saw him healing his injury after such an ostentatious landing, the humiliation would be unbearable.
“…I wish it would hurry up and leave.”
The dragon circled above him a few more times before finally flying back to the Demon Realm.
Only then did Void heal his ankle.
Rotating his now fully healed ankle, he began inscribing a teleportation spell on the ground.
He adjusted the spell so it would take him to the back of the dragon’s castle to avoid being noticed.
“Done.”
Standing on the magic circle, he released his ominous and hollow magical energy.
When he closed and then reopened his eyes, the world around him had transformed.
A massive white fortress now loomed before him.
“…I messed up.”
The only problem? He had appeared in front of the fortress.
Dragons nearby looked startled at the sudden emergence of Void from the ground.
Above, Hader—someone Void loathed—was also visible.
Hader, a name long erased from memory and usage by anyone else, lingered solely in Void’s recollection.
Only Void, who had cast the name into the void, remembered it.
The wicked dragon who smiled without a scratch as he met his end 500 years ago haunted Void’s vision.
A voice, screaming from the depths of his consciousness, demanded that he kill them all immediately.
His heartbeat quickened as if it would burst, and his breathing grew heavy.
The dragons flying above, deluded in their belief of their own greatness, disgusted him.
He hated them.
Hated them so much he could go mad.
A twisted envy festered within Void, which he accepted as seething hatred
His entire body tensed with uncontrollable strength.
Revenge was right before his eyes.
A grin threatened to stretch across his face.
The nearby dragons seemed to sense the unease radiating from him and began whispering among themselves, slowly moving away.
If he waited any longer, his identity might be exposed.
What should he do?
What could he do?
His fingers itched with anticipation.
Void, consumed by vile desires, lost sight of his purpose for being here.
An uncontrollable urge to kill began creeping from his very instincts.
The essence of his being as a Demon King was driving him to madness.
“Just kill them all…”
At that moment—
[A… A princess, they say!]
The amplified voice of a child, projected with magic, struck Void’s ears.
He opened his previously shut eyes and looked toward the platform.
“…A princess?”
Void’s neck turned with an eerie creak.
Golden horns entered his line of sight.
As soon as he saw those horns, Void reached out toward the balcony as if enchanted.
From his outstretched hand, black mist extended at terrifying speed toward the princess.
A few royal guards threw themselves to block it, casting spells, but it was futile.
Weakened dragons could do nothing to stop Void.
The murderous intent that had been wildly radiating now focused, gaining strength as it funneled toward one purpose.
Void’s lips curled into a victorious smile.
Here, he would end it.
The thought consumed him entirely.
Even if he were to lose his life immediately after killing their offspring, it didn’t matter.
All he wanted was to see their hollow expressions, the faces of those who had lost everything—just once.
That empty look would make his demise entirely worthwhile.
This would be the ultimate means to sever the long, grueling 500-year grudge.
“…Hader, I envy you. That’s why I hate you all so much, to the point of madness.”
The mist was about to touch the princess when—
“Urk?!”
Void locked eyes with the princess.
In that instant, his overwhelming hatred vanished.
‘…Maybe I’ll just kidnap her for now?’
The enormous hatred dissipated in a flash.
And so, time passed until the present moment.
“D-Do you like it?”
“…Mm-hmm.”
“Phew, I’m glad.”
Void gazed at the baby in front of him, feeling an inexplicable warmth bubbling from deep within.
The child was happily munching on the gemstone jelly Void had given her.
Unconsciously, Void reached out toward her head.
“…!!”
“……Ah.”
The baby constantly dodged him, warily moving her head around, leaving Void unable to pat her even once.
“I-I’m not dangerous…”
Even Void couldn’t comprehend the meaning of his own words.
Not dangerous? He was an attempted murderer and a kidnapper!
Sure enough, the baby yelled at him.
“You’re a kidnapper!”
“Urk!”
The words dealt a heavy blow to Void’s heart.
The pain was like the agony of heartbreak, and Void felt as though tears might fall.
At the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder why the child was eating the jelly he gave her if she knew he was a kidnapper.
Not that it particularly mattered.
Lost in his sorrow, Void slumped.
Meanwhile, the baby cautiously approached him, her golden eyes sparkling, and asked,
“…D-Do you have more jelly? Please?”
“Of course! Take it all!”
The pain vanished in an instant, as if washed away.
How could something be so adorable?
As Void brought out every gemstone jelly stored in his house, he smiled with pure happiness.
“Your mom and dad don’t give you stuff like this, right? Want to live with me?”
“…You’re scary.”
“…Wh-Why!”
Hoping the baby had fallen for the jelly and might agree, Void asked her, but her response was cold.
Munch, munch.
The baby puffed out her cheeks, munching on the jelly with determination, while the Demon King lay flat on the floor, dejected.
What a strange and surreal scene.
Meanwhile, the news of the Dragon Princess’s abduction spread across the entire continent in the blink of an eye.
It echoed not only through the Dragon’s territory but also across every dungeon in the Demon Realm and every kingdom in the human world.
Humans were in shock.
“T-The dragons are going to invade us now!!”
“We’re doomed! It’s all over for us!”
The Demon Kings were caught between shock and joy.
“Those filthy dragon brats, finally!!”
“Serves those lizards right.”
“…Could I manage it too?”
“The era of the Demon Kings has arrived!!!”
The shock appeared to linger for a long time.
Meanwhile, the dragons were consumed by deep sorrow and rage.
It was only natural, as the long-awaited princess had been kidnapped by a Demon King.
“War!! We must prepare for war!!”
“…W-What about our princess?!”
“Ahhh…”
“Damn those bastards!!”
“Let’s kill them all!!”
“Purge the filthy demons and humans!!”
“Let’s show them the might of the great dragons!!”
Some dragons were enraged, while others could only sigh in despair.
Of course, the enraged dragons greatly outnumbered the resigned ones.
And so, an emergency meeting was held, attended by the King, Queen, elders, and nobles.
After a long silence, the Queen, who was nearly slumped over the table, finally spoke.
“…What do we do about our princess?”
Her voice, hoarse from crying so much, carried an unbearable sense of misery.
The nobles fell silent at her words, while the elders and the King were filled with fury.
“We must rescue our princess.”
“That’s the right move.”
“Albi, forgive me, but I’m going to drop the formalities. I’m not in the mood to use honorifics right now.”
“It’s fine, Anuket.”
“…This is my fault.”
“No, Elder, it isn’t.”
The King gently asked the unnamed elder, who had lowered his head in apology, to raise it again.
“I should’ve ensured it was finished for good…”
“Let’s go rescue her.”
“Yes, we must.”
The dragons’ eyes filled with resolute determination.
They began drafting documents to gather military supplies and conscript troops.
Public opinion among the dragon populace started to unite like never before in history.
At the same time, new laws were enacted to ensure the safety of the royal family.
For a long time, dragons, blinded by the glory of their past, had failed to acknowledge the reality of their situation, succumbing to complacency.
This moment marked their awakening.
Their resolve, however—
“We’re back!!!”
“…Oh, you’re… back already?”
—lasted only three days.
The princess had returned, still in the arms of her kidnapper.
A now wide-eyed Void stared blankly at the scene.
I didn’t read it but they just let the princess of their kingdom or whatever just dip like that??
That void guy is hella strong I think 🤔
Idk but I think they got caught off guard for 3 minutes🤷♂️