Chapter 14: Coup d’État—The Battle Erupts!

Demon King Castle Aisaridu plaza.

It was already noon.

The Succession Ceremony for the new Demon Queen, Sidella, was nearing its end.

Under the watchful eyes of the masses, a Blood Clan maid raised the Crown that symbolized the supreme authority of the Demon Race.

In the crowd, faint cheers were already beginning to rise.

Sidella’s eyes were deep.

She bowed slightly.

But just as the Blood Clan servant was about to place the Crown upon Sidella’s head, an unexpected upheaval erupted!

Boom——!

In the center of the Royal City plaza, where the subjects of the Demon Race were gathered, a massive Magic Explosion suddenly detonated.

The deafening roar echoed throughout the entire Royal City, thick smoke billowing into the air.

Buildings collapsed, leaving only broken walls and ruins.

Fine dust floated through the air, obscuring vision and stirring panic among the populace.

A great turmoil was inevitable.

Those trying to escape were caught in the crowd, resulting in countless stampedes.

Terrified screams and cries rose and fell in waves.

At the same time, the Three Marquis, having long prepared, launched a coup in unison.

The forces under the three quickly split up, surrounding the entire Demon King Palace and firmly controlling all the troops on the plaza.

On the palace balcony, Sidella was surrounded by the Three Marquis in a triangular formation, all clad in armor.

“You…”

Amid the distant sound of artillery fire, Sidella’s gaze swept over the Three Marquis encircling her.

Her crimson pupils flickered, her face as cold as thousand-year frost.

“Do you intend to stage a coup today?”

“Are you attempting to challenge me?”

Though she uttered only two simple sentences, the Three Marquis could clearly feel the air grow heavy.

Even the flow of magic within their bodies slowed under Sidella’s words.

“It’s hardly a coup. After all, as long as the Succession Ceremony isn’t over, Your Majesty can’t be called the true Demon King.”

The Demon Ape Clan’s Carli Marquis wore a faintly mocking smile, raising his clenched fist toward Sidella.

The fur on his skin was as tough as steel needles.

His expression was eager.

“It’s just that our Demon Ape Clan has always revered strength and prefers to speak with fists. We wanted to see if Your Majesty is qualified to become the Demon King.”

Beside him, Rama Marquis and Sardin Marquis likewise tightened their grips on their weapons, clearly sharing his intent.

If Sidella were defeated here today, it would prove that the so-called Blood Queen, Sidella Eve Cecilia, was nothing but a hollow name, unworthy of ruling the entire Demon Race.

Sidella looked up at the sky.

They had chosen the time of the coup at noon, the most unfavorable hour for the Blood Clan.

“Hmph~”

Unexpectedly, Sidella revealed a smile of interest.

“I’d heard before that you followed the Previous Demon King into countless battles and possessed extraordinary strength.”

As she spoke, the silver hair flowing down her back like moonlight shimmered with light.

A Demon Sword entwined with blood-red rose vines slowly materialized at her call.

Sidella reached out, gripping the hilt.

The bat-wing-shaped guard enveloped her entire hand.

Sidella withdrew the Anti-Magic Domain that blanketed the Demon King Castle dungeons, compressing it infinitely above her head until it formed a small night curtain that completely blocked the Sunlight overhead.

Bloodlust flashed in her crimson pupils.

“I grant you this opportunity, but the price is your remaining, withered lives!”

With that, a battle vast enough to engulf the entire Royal City officially erupted!

***

Meanwhile, on the Royal City plaza.

After urgently evacuating the citizens, the dragon maiden Lilith furrowed her brows tightly.

“This is bad, Lady Lilith!”

Just then, a Dog-head Man soldier, his armor covered in dust, rushed forward to report the crisis within the Royal City.

“In many places across the city, frenzied demon beasts have appeared out of nowhere, attacking the citizens!”

Lilith seized the Dog-head Man subordinate by the collar, her tone urgent.

“You! Yes, you—take the remaining people and handle those demon beasts!”

“Ah? Me!”

The Dog-head Man blinked in confusion.

“Then, Lady Lilith, you…”

“I have more important things to do!”

Lilith looked toward another battlefield in the distance, where destruction was even more intense.

Sidella was single-handedly fending off the fierce assault of the Three Marquis.

Even though Sidella possessed overwhelming power far surpassing any one of the three, with the Sunlight exerting its greatest negative effect, she still could not swiftly end the battle.

Lilith had no doubt that, at night, the Blood Queen could kill the Three Marquis in an instant.

But in the current situation, if this fight continued any longer, the first to be destroyed would surely be the entire Demon King Castle!

Lilith spread her dragon wings, preparing to rush to the battlefield and support Sidella.

Suddenly, a wolf’s howl slammed her into the ground, and the collapse of countless buildings buried her completely.

Four enormous wolf heads burst through the earth, emerging from below.

Under the terrified gazes of the remaining soldiers in the plaza, the Three Marquis’ final trump card—a pet left behind by the Previous Demon King—

The Four-Headed Abyssal Demon Hound, ‘Sanoma,’ long sealed beneath the Royal City plaza, broke free!

Towering at forty-five meters tall, it was as massive as a mountain just standing on four legs.

It now blocked the path to aid Sidella.

Foul-smelling drool dripped from its jaws, instantly corroding the marble pavement wherever it touched, leaving gaping holes.

All four heads’ eyes gleamed with crazed crimson, devoid of reason, as they tore and devoured anything within reach.

Those too slow to flee were snapped in half and chewed into fodder for its endless hunger.

Victory or death—failure meant annihilation.

The Three Marquis cared nothing for the ruin the Royal City would become after their victory.

They only knew that they could not lose!

In their eyes, the lives of the citizens were nothing more than cold weights on the scales of victory and defeat.

Fwoosh——!

The ruins of collapsed houses spontaneously ignited, making even the air burn.

Stone blocks gradually reddened, showing signs of melting.

The Four-Headed Demon Hound’s attention was drawn to the pile of debris burying Lilith.

In the next instant, Lilith burst from beneath the rubble in her Red Dragon form.

Her massive body, also nearly forty meters tall and covered in crimson scales, stood revealed.

As she beat her dragon wings and landed, the very earth trembled.

Transformed into a giant dragon, Lilith’s throat rumbled.

Blazing magic gathered in her mouth.

She lunged at the Four-Headed Demon Hound, her powerful tail whipping at one of its wolf heads.

In the same moment, her jaws opened wide, unleashing a torrent of molten lava at the demon hound’s face!

The magma struck the demon hound’s fur, black as steel needles, and exploded with terrifying energy.

Howling in agony, the Four-Headed Demon Hound reeled from the attack.

Two of its heads, jaws bristling with razor fangs, snapped at Lilith’s outstretched dragon wings.

A battle between two mighty beasts erupted instantly.