The defensive fortress of the Blood Realm, Blood Valley.
Demon warriors were gathered in front of that Blood Valley.
This was because they could see Lilith’s army entering from far away.
The warriors of Berzet who had rushed forward to block Lilith’s forces from entering the fortress were completely swept away.
Lilith burned Berzet’s troops in the vanguard.
Conscious of Yuma walking steadily behind her, she became more motivated to eliminate the enemies.
Someone approached Yuma, who was slowly moving forward.
With a thud─ The demon who approached Yuma suddenly knelt down.
Yuma gazed intently at the demon.
Yuma noticed from the blood lineage ability [Ability Imprinting].
This Kara was one of the awakened members of the Seal Clan.
Come to think of it, his eye color was the same silver as Selene’s.
His hair was also platinum blonde.
Kara spoke
“I was explained by the Great Demon King Lilith, that the benefactor killed the Great Demon King Berzet and saved our Levain
Clan from the Berzet Clan.”
Yuma slowly nodded.
“I heard that your elder sister… the clan leader has passed away.”
Kara continued speaking while kneeling, his head bowed.
“My elder sister will not resent the benefactor. She will only be grateful for the mercy. This is true for me and our Seal Clan, Levain. The Seal Clan remembers mercy and grace.”
Yuma slowly nodded again and moved forward.
Kara approached and walked alongside him.
Yuma organized his thoughts.
What should he do?
‘There’s no need.’
He had obtained everything he could.
[Imprint of Radiance] and [Blood of the Great Demon King].
Now he just needed to return to the Intermediate Realm.
However, he wanted to tie up loose ends.
Yuma looked at Kara walking beside him.
Bell was silently guarding his side.
Yuma looked at Kara.
“Rule this land of Berzet with your Levain Clan.”
Kara’s eyes widened.
“What?”
Yuma temporarily ignored Kara’s question and approached Lilith.
“How long will it take for Levain to rise to the position of the Demon King’s Clan?”
Lilith tilted her head.
“Even including non-blood awakened personnel, the current number of Seal Clan members is not that large… I cannot even predict. Though I cannot say for the Demon King’s Clan, it will take at least a hundred years to rise to a stable position as a clan in this demon realm.”
Yuma walked alongside Lilith and spoke again.
“A hundred years is not such a long time by your standards.”
Lilith slowly nodded.
“Indeed… it’s not really a long time…”
Lilith felt something bitter in Yuma’s words.
“I want the Seal Clan Levain to rule this land.” “Hmm?” “And I want you to form an alliance with the Levain Clan. For a hundred years.”
Lilith’s eyes grew round.
“An alliance?”
“Yes, you could call it an alliance. It means protecting the Levain Clan from being consumed by other clans for a hundred years.”
Lilith stopped walking for a moment.
There was a madman right next to her, asking the Great Demon King to dedicate countless time to another clan.
“I know it’s an unreasonable request. But I hope you’ll do it.”
Lilith’s eyes widened because he said this without the slightest hesitation, even while acknowledging it was an unreasonable request.
Yuma continued walking alongside Lilith.
“If the Seal Clan can fully absorb everything in this Great Demon King’s land, the Blood Realm, even if their numbers are few, they won’t collapse so easily.”
Yuma looked around.
Numerous demon beasts were visible in the Berzet Great Demon King’s Castle.
First-rank demon beasts, one of the main attack forces.
The massive cages with iron bars seemed to contain at least hundreds of demon beasts.
Just properly transferring these to the Seal Clan would be enough to prevent invasion by most Demon King Clans.
‘But it is also true that a definite shield is necessary.’
This was the demon realm.
The demon realm he might not return to this time.
He couldn’t bring the Seal Clan to the Intermediate Realm.
There was no need.
After all, only the clan leader could imprint humans, and Selene had said that once imprinted, they might be able to imprint again on humans after a few years.
Yuma knew what he was doing was mere hypocrisy.
“I hope you and the Purgatory Castle will back the Seal Clan while they regain their original position.”
“…Is this a command or a request?”
Lilith maintained her walking pace and asked Yuma with humor.
They were both looking straight ahead and not at each other.
Yuma opened his mouth to respond.
“It’s a request. Why would I give a command? I’m not even going to stay in the demon realm.”
Yuma looked at Lilith.
She wasn’t as strange as her tone suggested.
Her alignment was ‘neutral’, but it would be strange in itself to maintain a good alignment while reaching the level of Great Demon King in this land of survival of the fittest.
Lilith slowly opened her mouth.
“Is this guilt? About Selene?”
“No such thing. I killed Berzet with my own hands, so there’s no need to feel that.”
Guilt.
Yuma asked himself while answering.
“I just don’t want to see the Seal Clan, whom I’ve saved, being easily manipulated by the strong again.”
Lilith responded to Yuma’s words.
“That’s right. If you leave these people behind in this Blood Realm and depart, those aiming for this Blood Realm will appear within a month.”
Lilith fell silent for a moment, as if thinking about something, and continued walking.
“Well, okay. If we dissolve the contract with the Berzet Clan that’s been hanging on the core of this Blood Realm and make it completely the Levain Clan’s, the powerful demonic energy existing in this Blood Realm will protect the Levain Clan, allowing them to grow quickly. Enough to form at least a union, if not a full alliance.”
Yuma nodded.
“That would work.”
“…Are you trusting me so easily?”
Lilith tilted her head.
Yuma responded again.
“You’ve never lied.”
Yuma recalled Lilith’s gaze when looking at the dying Selene.
What was visible on her face was clearly compassion.
And Lilith’s subordinate, who had confidently told Yuma that they had never kept slave clans if they could have killed them.
‘Though it was that same guy who told them to eat demon beast meat.’
He remembered the guy who looked exactly like an Ogre, though he couldn’t recall the name.
“And I can at least see the process of changing the core’s contract to the Levain bloodline.”
Lilith nodded.
“Yes, if you provide the magical power, two days will be sufficient.”
“Then that’s settled.
The aftermath will be something I can’t know about.”
Lilith chuckled.
“I will treat the Levain Clan as an equal to my kingdom on my honor.”
Yuma said playfully.
“Yes, but in about 10 years, there might be a way or reason to return to the demon realm, so I can check then.”
Lilith’s body trembled slightly.
“What if I’m doing something a bit bad when you return in 10 years?”
Yuma stared at Lilith with his blue eyes for a moment.
“Well, we’ll see when the time comes.”
Lilith’s red hair swayed violently.
Lilith imagined a massive killing intent rising behind Yuma’s back, even though Yuma had done nothing.
At this moment, the most perplexed person in this march was none other than Kara, who was about to become the clan leader of Levain.
He had just been quietly walking beside Yuma.
Yet he was about to become the owner of this Blood Realm.
And he had formed an alliance with Lilith, one of the five Great Demon Kings of the demon realm.
“…Are, are all of these things that you both just discussed completely serious?”
“It is serious.”
Yuma said this because it was truly serious.
And the female voice that followed was somewhat sharp.
“That’s right! It is serious! Didn’t this guy just declare to me that he would come to kill me if I don’t keep my word in 10 years!”
Yuma ignored Lilith and spoke to Kara.
“Classify who must be killed and who is unrelated. Decide whether the direct descendants of Berzet should be killed or not.”
“…Will Lord Yuma be killing them?”
Yuma shook his head.
There was no need for him to kill them.
“They must be killed by the hands of the Levain Clan. If I intend to kill, I will do nothing to prevent it from happening.”
Kara responded heavily.
“Understood, Lord Yuma.”
“Reben Ehendel.”
Kara’s eyes widened.
“The last words Selene said to me. What do they mean?”
Kara spoke softly.
“In the Imprinting Language, it means wishing farewell. It also contains respect and reverence for the recipient.”
Yuma slowly nodded and walked forward.
Indeed, the meaning was not different.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
