Aoto had been asleep for about half or one hour, maybe a little more. The sun had long set, and the city was covered in quiet darkness, only a few broken lamps flickering through the dusty streets.
He felt something soft yet annoying hitting his face again and again.
Slap. Slap.
"Ugh…" Aoto groaned and slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry at first, but as it cleared, he found Li Feng standing right in front of him, slapping his cheek lightly with an innocent look.
"So, you finally woke up!" Li Feng said casually, grinning like it was nothing.
"Ahh!" Aoto yelped, jumping up and taking a quick step back in surprise. His heart almost stopped for a second.
"Who are you?" he asked, frowning — but then his eyes shifted to the side and saw Xao Feng standing quietly beside Li Feng. Aoto remembered her. They had met once before at a party with Scarlett.
He calmed down slightly. "Wait… did Scarlett send you two?" he asked.
Xao nodded lightly.
Only then did Aoto sigh in relief, lowering his guard. "You two sure took your time. I literally died out here," he muttered, brushing dust off his clothes.
Li Feng crossed his arms proudly and smirked. "You should be honored that we at least came at all."
Aoto's lips twitched in disbelief. "This guy… he actually matches my energy," he thought silently, staring at Li Feng. It was like looking in a mirror — two overconfident narcissists facing each other.
Xao ignored their little rivalry and looked around. Though some people were still running back and forth, the earlier chaos had mostly died down. The fires were out, the screams had faded, and now only tired murmurs filled the air.
Then her gaze landed on the ground nearby — Orihime's lifeless body, her black bunny suit soaked and torn. Xao's eyes widened slightly. She finally understood what Aoto meant when he said he "died." But what surprised her more was that Aoto had actually defeated a Holy Knight.
She turned back to him with a serious look. "Do you have any idea what's going on? Miss Scarlett only got a rough idea, but she found out that every king, or anyone at a king's level, is being targeted by the Holy Knights. That's why we came here as fast as we could."
"What?" Aoto's eyes widened in shock. "All kingdoms? So it wasn't just me?"
Li Feng sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "You didn't even know that much? Sigh… what a waste," he said in disappointment.
Aoto's lips twitched again, his hand slightly shaking. "This guy… is he like this with Scarlett too?" he thought, trying hard not to punch Li Feng in the face.
He forced a smile instead. "What about Scarlett? Did she get attacked too?"
Xao nodded confidently. "Yes, but those weaklings aren't enough to defeat my lady. She caught the intruder alive right away." Her eyes shined with pride, her voice full of admiration.
Then she looked back at Aoto. "My lady told us to stay with you for the next two days — just in case something happens."
Aoto nodded slowly. Honestly, it wasn't a bad deal. Free protection from two powerful fighters sounded good to him. After killing Orihime, he knew others might come for him next. Having them nearby was a relief.
He let out a tired breath, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Wait… if every king and king-level person is being attacked, doesn't that mean Richard might be in danger too? He's the second prince of Almeida, after all."
Since Aoto had already killed Orihime, there was no short-term danger for the King of Darwitz. For now.
But Aoto's expression turned thoughtful. Richard, Princess Ingrassia, Chiyoko, and Irish had all gone to the territory of the Seventh Demon King. What if they got attacked there?
The chances were half and half. Whoever was behind these attacks would most likely target the First Prince of Almeida, Valen, and the King of Almeida first. Besides, launching an attack in a demon king's territory wasn't simple—it came with huge risks.
Still, if the attackers decided to strike, they could kill two birds with one stone. Not only could they target Richard, but they could also eliminate Princess Ingrassia, who was with him. That made the situation unpredictable.
Aoto rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "If they've already entered the Seventh Demon King's territory, maybe they won't be attacked. But then again, facing a demon king has its own dangers…"
Xao, who was standing beside him, suddenly frowned. "No. From what we know, the attacks are happening in order—starting from DreadHaven, then Gwarga, and then—ahh…"
Her words caught in her throat as she suddenly froze, realizing something was wrong.
The timeline didn't match. According to their earlier prediction, Aoto—or rather, the Kingdom of Darwitz—wasn't supposed to be attacked yet. But he had already faced Orihime, and several hours had passed since that battle.
That could only mean one thing—their earlier assumption was completely wrong.
Xao's face turned serious. "I need to report this to my lady," she said quickly. "If the order of attacks isn't what we thought, then Almeida might already be under attack!"
She turned toward Li Feng. "You stay with him. I'll go inform my lady right away."
Li Feng didn't argue. He just nodded, narrowing his eyes slightly as he looked at Aoto. Aoto stared back, both of them silently sizing each other up like rivals who didn't quite trust each other.
———
At the same time, far away, Chiyoko and his team finally arrived at the territory of the Seventh Demon King.
Night had fallen, and the forest surrounding the area was pitch dark. The trees were tall and thick, and the sound of insects echoed through the air. Every shadow seemed alive, like something could jump out at any second.
Ingrassia walked quietly, clutching her staff, She looked nervous but didn't say anything. She just hoped this expedition would end quickly.
"So we still don't know anything about the background of the Seventh Demon King? Where she came from?" Princess Ingrassia asked.
Chiyoko nodded calmly. "Yes. That's exactly why we're here. Not just anyone can claim the title of a demon king. We need to find out who she really is."
They moved carefully through the woods, staying out of sight. They couldn't rush in blindly. the area wasn't just home to the demon king—there were also normal demons and monsters living here peacefully, like villagers.
When they reached the edge of the forest, they could see the outskirts of a settlement.
It looked surprisingly normal. Not as grand as a human kingdom, but still organized. There were small houses made of stone and woods, lights glowing faintly, and creatures walking around talking and working. The air wasn't filled with hostility, but with a strange calm.
"Should we just go in directly and take on whoever gets in our way?" Chiyoko asked quietly, remembering how Scarlett had once charged right into the Fifth Demon King's territory without hesitation.
But he wasn't Scarlett. He couldn't take that kind of reckless risk.
Ingrassia sighed, brushing her hair back. "Honestly, that sounds like a bad idea. I'd rather relax at that beach we passed earlier this morning instead." Her voice carried a mix of tiredness and sarcasm.
Richard, however, was bursting with energy. "Let's just go challenge her directly! It'll be faster! If she's got any pride, she'll come out and face us!" he said, jumping slightly in excitement.
Ingrassia gave him a side-eye and looked at irish. "What about you, Irish?" she asked.
Irish had been quiet the whole time, her voice finally breaking the silence. "I'm fine with anything," she said casually, though her expression showed a little unease.
They all stood there, unsure of what to do next. It was their first mission of this kind, and the fear of the unknown made them hesitate.
But suddenly, Chiyoko's ears caught the sound of footsteps.
Two demons were walking out from the entrance of the nearby village. Their armor shone faintly under the moonlight, and their sharp tails swayed behind them. They were heading straight in the direction where Chiyoko and the others were hiding.
"Quick, hide!" Chiyoko whispered, his voice urgent.
Everyone immediately crouched low behind the trees and bushes, holding their breath.
But those two monsters didn't stop walking. They moved calmly through until they were only a few dozen meters away from where Chiyoko and the others were hiding.
"You four over there," one of them said in a deep, calm voice, "we already know you're hiding, so there's no point in staying quiet." He sighed as if the situation bored him.
"Huh? What?" Chiyoko's eyes widened slightly. He hadn't expected to be discovered so easily.
He prided himself on his stealth and awareness. Even though he wasn't on Scarlett's level, he was confident that few could sense his presence when he hid seriously.
Taking a deep breath, Chiyoko decided to take the lead. "I'll go," he whispered to the others before stepping out from behind the tree.
The moonlight reflected off his armor as he faced them openly. "Why are you here?" he asked firmly.
The monster who had spoken shrugged. "We should be the ones asking that. Lady Yelan has sensed you wandering around for quite some time now, so she sent us to deal with you." His tone was casual, almost lazy, as if the whole thing was a routine task.
Chiyoko's heart tightened. "So they knew from the start," he realized. But he didn't let his expression change. He stood tall and called out, "Everyone, come out!"
At once, the others stepped out from their hiding spots — Richard, Ingrassia, and Irish — each ready to fight. Their eyes were sharp, and their hands were already close to their weapons.
Chiyoko unsheathed his sword, the blade catching a faint glint of moonlight. He pointed it straight at the two monsters and said clearly, "I am Chiyoko Hiiro, one of the summoned heroes! I've come here to defeat your queen!"
His voice was strong and steady. He was ready to fight the moment they made a move.
The two monsters looked at each other, silent for a few seconds. The tension grew heavy — and then, suddenly—
"Hahahaha!"
Both monsters burst out laughing. Their loud laughter echoed through the quiet forest. After a few seconds, they finally caught their breath.
"So you came to challenge Lady Yelan?" the second monster said, still grinning. "You could've just told us from the start!" He rubbed his forehead, trying not to laugh again.
He steadied himself and continued, "Come with us. You're not the first one. Lady Yelan welcomes anyone who challenges her."
"What?" Richard blurted out, shocked. He blinked a few times, unsure if they were being serious. Monsters weren't known for being this… polite.
Everyone stayed alert. No one lowered their guard. It was foolish to trust monsters so easily, especially when they were in enemy territory.
But Chiyoko, after a moment of thinking, nodded slowly. "Fine," he said. "Let's go and settle this properly. Even if something happens, I'm confident I can get us out."
"Follow us," the monsters said together, turning toward the village gate.
The group followed carefully. Their steps were quiet, their eyes scanning every shadow and corner. But to their surprise, no ambush came. The path remained calm.
As they walked deeper inside, they began to see more of the demons in the village. The streets were lit by glowing crystals. Monsters of all shapes and sizes walked around. Some ignored them completely; others frowned in confusion.
A tall, muscular monster with the head of a bull stepped forward, his heavy footsteps shaking the ground slightly. "Humans? Dimitres, what's the meaning of this?" he asked, his tone rough.
"He's a summoned hero," the monster named Dimitres explained casually. "He and his group came to challenge Lady Yelan, so we're taking them to her."
The bull-headed monster stared for a moment — then suddenly chuckled. "Hahaha! Is that so? I see.l.i see, I just got confused for a second, nothing else." He waved his hand and walked away, completely unbothered.
Several other monsters nearby also started laughing softly, whispering to each other.
"Haha, I was wondering since when humans started showing up here," one of them said.
"It's nothing special. Lady Yelan gets challengers all the time," another replied.
Their casual laughter filled the air, and soon the whole place felt less like enemy territory and more like a bizarrely peaceful town — where even a visit from human heroes wasn't enough to cause panic.