“Hands up! Surrender!”
The guards who were originally positioned around the venue swarmed the martial arts arena, and among them were many of the Sage’s Clones wearing the uniforms of the City Defense Force.
Milin hadn’t noticed that there were so many guards in the venue — the clicks of metal mechanisms engaging merged into a single sound as hundreds of rifles were cocked simultaneously.
A dense thicket of muzzles, along with her own burning gaze, locked onto the Demon standing in the center of the martial arts arena… though she still maintained the appearance of the Prince.
“Miss Ashius’s concerns were correct after all… A Demon really dared to attack the Grand Festival venue!”
Beside her, a lieutenant of the City Defense Force directed his subordinates to load Anti-Demon Bullets into their weapons.
From his travel-worn, sweat-drenched appearance, it was clear he had just been urgently deployed from elsewhere.
“Please rest easy, Princess. City Defense Force Lieutenant Tain Giruett reporting with his unit — one-third of the City Defense Force’s active strength is currently rushing toward the venue.”
He smiled at Milin and then immediately stood ready with his subordinates.
Milin saw more soldiers arriving from all directions behind him.
They were fully armed and in perfect order, forming a formation to protect the VIP seats and the spectator stands.
“Miss Ashius…?”
Hearing this name from the lieutenant’s mouth, Milin was stunned for a moment.
In her memory, that was her mother’s maiden name… but she had also heard someone else call out that surname just now.
“Yes. Miss Ren Ashus. Do you know her?”
“Of course I know her! Where is she now — “
“Don’t be in such a hurry, Lady. Here, let’s wipe your face first.”
Milin had desperately wanted to ask the lieutenant about Ren’s whereabouts, but Feiyin stepped between her and the lieutenant.
She knelt down and used a damp cloth to wipe away the blood from Bert that had splattered onto Milin’s face.
“Milin Klauschel.”
Suddenly, she heard the surrounded Demon call her name loudly. With Feiyin’s help, she stood up and looked toward her.
“It really is you… you hateful Demon woman!”
Aside from Milin, everyone else who turned their gaze toward that Demon gasped.
This was because they saw her face and body melting like a candle… A pitch-black, viscous substance, appearing dark even under the sunlight, flowed down like candle tears.
When it had all finished draining, the person standing in the center of the martial arts arena had become a young girl with flowing, black hair.
The clothes she had been wearing also seemed to be an Imitation. After those sludge-like shadows slid down to her feet, her attire had changed into a thin, black bodysuit.
Milin had seen this kind of clothing before.
In the past, Teacher Vera had taken her to see a knight’s tournament of a style that wasn’t very popular anymore… The female knight participating in that tournament was a former subordinate of Teacher Vera.
She remembered that the female knight wore this kind of bodysuit before she put on her armor.
“Don’t move! Or else we will fire!”
Seeing her call the Princess by name, the soldiers present were furious. Their fingers were already on the triggers… but they remained disciplined.
This was because not a single person with command authority had given the order to fire.
“Who are you?”
Before Milin could respond to her, she heard the question her mother asked using a Magic Megaphone.
She was still in the VIP seats, surrounded by guards.
Two tall, shield-bearing guards firmly protected her on both sides… Their shields gleamed with a silvery light — a special Anti-Spell Mineral Coating from the Holy Nation that could resist and reflect spells.
“Duchess.”
Even facing a hive-like array of gun muzzles, the Demon girl’s expression did not show the slightest hint of cowardice.
Her deep purple Demon Eyes burned with a hatred that could scorch the heavens.
She stared at the Duchess and then, for the first time, officially announced her name to everyone:
“My name is Lantoluke Salshius. Your husband killed my father… leaving my mother all alone. I came here specifically to seek revenge for them.”
Her voice echoed throughout the venue with Magic Power… followed by an immediate uproar.
“Isn’t this girl the one on the wanted poster…?”
“Her surname is the surname of the Demon King. She says the Duke killed her father…”
“That devil actually had an offspring? What a disaster!”
It was common knowledge — before the Hero was summoned, the Demon Realm’s invasion of the Human Realm had lasted for more than 140 years.
During those despairingly long years, countless cities and kingdoms had surrendered or been destroyed under the iron hooves of the Demon Army.
In the end, only the two largest nations in the central and eastern parts of the continent — the Theocracy of Serandor and Yilansiya — struggled to hold on.
Although the war had finally ended thanks to the efforts of the Brave’s Party, the madness of the Demon Army at the end of the invasion still left those who survived the war in these two nations feeling deep lingering fear.
And even if they had not seen the Demon King with their own eyes, they had heard legends about him — the supreme being of the Demon Race could cause ordinary humans not blessed by Magic Power to bleed from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth and explode just by releasing the pressure of his Magic Power.
His appearance meant certain doom… In those days, the nations that surrendered to the Demon Race all chose to kneel and obey to escape that terrible fate.
Because of this, the older people among the audience cast fearful looks at the Demon girl…
Although they did not feel that she possessed the legendary power to destroy all living things, they still instinctively feared the title she announced and instinctively feared what her bloodline symbolized.
“So that’s how it is… I do not deny your hatred.” But the Duchess did not fear her. Her voice, amplified by the Magic Megaphone, was very calm.
“But you should know that was the result of war. Your father rose because of his own ambition and collapsed because of it as well. His death was his own fault.”
“I didn’t come here to discuss principles with you. A daughter seeking revenge against her father’s killer to bring comfort to her grieving mother… Isn’t such a thing only natural?”
“…Listen to your nonsense!”
“How many people do you think your cursed father killed? My wife… my wife was killed by that damned Demon Army!”
“Your father deserved to die! To think you would even say you’re getting revenge for him… What right do you have?! Even the grievances of us humans still — “
“Then you should come as well. I am not stopping you from taking your revenge on me. I am standing right here. Stop whitewashing Peace… Humans and the Demon Race should kill each other for the blood feuds they hold.”
Luc’s cold response incited the fury of the people present… This anger even dispelled the fear in their hearts.
If the guards hadn’t held them back, many people would have probably rushed onto the martial arts arena to attack her.
“I will not allow such a thing to happen.”
The Duchess’s voice quelled the commotion.
There seemed to be a certain sadness in her voice, but there was even more dignity and solemnity:
“Please surrender. At least that way you can save your life. I will hold you accountable for the attack on the Mansion. Times are different now… Even if you are High Demonkind, the weapons here can easily kill you hundreds or thousands of times over. The revenge you hope for will not be realized.”
The soldiers leveled their rifles.
They knew the Duchess had already made her decision — this was the last mercy she would offer to this arrogant and reckless Demon girl who didn’t know the heights of the heavens.
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