Not a single shred of light illuminated the room.
Deep within that suffocating darkness…
"Obviously… I need to eliminate Demon Lord Atem, and Demon Lord Leon… and Luminous-sama as well—"
Granbell muttered, voice trembling with hatred sharpened by centuries of loss.
His eyes were hollow, sinking into a well of unfathomable darkness.
Granbell had dedicated more than a thousand years to humanity.
His original dream—to protect mankind—had long twisted into a desire for supreme rule, absolute control, and domination.
But even then…
He still wished for "peace for human society."
That was the one conviction he had never abandoned.
He endured betrayals that shattered kingdoms.
He watched companions die one after another.
He bore suffering that would break lesser men into dust.
Yet Granbell stood firm through it all, enduring every trial to shield humanity from extinction.
With Luminous Valentine's aid, he had maintained the balance between humankind and monsters.
But Luminous was not the key—Granbell's own relentless will was irreplaceable.
He once spoke of dreams with his comrades.
He once laughed, once hoped, once believed.
But those companions were now long dead, swallowed by the flow of time.
And when Mariabell—his hope, his light—was born,
he believed his dream was only one step away from completion.
But now… even she was gone.
Granbell had lost hope.
The East and West were fracturing.
Humanity stood on the edge of annihilation.
The Octagram—the unified demon lords—were at the height of their power.
Though their number had dropped from ten to eight, each had only grown more powerful.
Guy Crimson's demons ravaged the northern lands with monstrous delight.
Dagruel, "Continent's Wrath," eyed human society with growing hunger.
He had avoided direct conflict with the Queen of Nightmares, but no one knew how long his restraint would last.
And far in the Eastern Empire…
a vast, incomprehensible power moved in secret.
Granbell suspected the "Sleeping Ruler," but lacked proof.
Facing all these existences—monsters that eclipsed mankind—
Granbell still fought with a single wish in his heart:
to protect humanity.
But now even that wish had begun to die.
"That boy… Yuuki… he had such a childish, boring dream.
He can take the reins if he wants.
I am tired…"
Granbell did not know how long he had left to live.
With Mariabell gone, there was no successor, no one capable of taking his place.
Without a mediator, humanity would destroy itself, consumed by its own greed, fear, and hatred.
He knew this all too well—
For his own wife, the woman Mariabell resembled so strongly,
had been murdered by humans.
Humans she once tried to save.
For the sake of the children who survived,
Granbell swallowed his grief, bearing pain and sorrow alone for centuries.
But now his life was drawing to a close.
His strength, his reason, his hope—all crumbling.
"This world has taken everything from me…
Let it fall."
His words were soft, but filled with raw, unfiltered truth.
There was no deception here—
only the desperate scream of a heart long since broken.
Granbell had already stepped beyond the edge.
He had tasted the darkness—and embraced it.
He had gone mad.
And so, he made his final decision.
A decision that would plunge the world into chaos, drawing the attention of the mightiest—
including Demon Lord Atem, King of Eterna,
whose divine presence and overwhelming power
would soon collide with Granbell's last, desperate ambition.
Granbell had chosen his path.
There was no turning back.
The Silent Chessboard of Kings....
Demon Lord Leon Cromwell departed Etl Dorado with a heavy heart, heading toward a woman even he considered "troublesome."
Silver hair like moonlight. Ears long and elegant. A serene beauty painted into reality—
Elmesia El-RuSarion, High Elf and Emperor of the Sorcerer's Dynasty Sarion.
They sat beneath a grand gazebo overlooking a flawless garden. Tea steamed gently from porcelain cups, its scent soothing enough to dull the tension. Maids lingered nearby, ready to refill their cups without a word.
For a while, neither spoke.
At last, Elmesia sighed dramatically.
"Honestly, Leon-kun, you're always so stiff. You finally visit after all this time, and this is the atmosphere you bring? It's boring."
Their relationship was old—older than Leon's status as a Demon Lord. They had been partners, allies, and friends long before destiny twisted Leon's path.
"I don't exactly feel like smiling. My situation isn't ideal," Leon replied coldly.
"Elmesia giggled. "You barely smile even when you are in a good mood, so what's new?"
Leon's eyebrow twitched. "This isn't the time to joke. I came because—"
"Ah! Try this dessert from Yoshida-san's shop."
She snapped her fingers, and servants rolled in a cart overflowing with cakes.
"I said I'm not a fan of sweets."
"This one isn't too sweet. Matcha cookie. Perfect for a grumpy Demon Lord."
"...Fine. I'll eat it."
He knew arguing was useless. Elmesia, Ramiris—these women had the same dangerous trait: overwhelming stubbornness.
Leon quietly took a cookie.
"…Sweet."
"Oh? Still too sweet for you?"
"…It's fine."
Elmesia hid a smile behind her teacup.
"And? You're here about Atem's children, yes?"
Leon stiffened.
Of course she already knew.
Elmesia's expression softened, sensing his urgency.
"That misunderstanding between you and Atem… you're planning to resolve it?"
Leon nodded.
"Yes. Atem is… not someone I can afford to antagonize. Not anymore."
Atem—King of Eterna, the Duel Pharaoh, the man who broke Guy Crimson at Walpurgis and stood above the Demon Lords like a living embodiment of destiny. His presence distorted fate, and his power… defied reason.
Elmesia's voice teased, "Ara? You—losing to Atem?"
Leon didn't rise to the bait.
"It's not about winning. Even though i will never be able to defeat someone that basically beat Guy Crimson like beating a child. It's simply pointless. Atem doesn't move out of spite, but his power is absolute. Fighting him gains me nothing—and risks everything. I'd rather negotiate."
"That's the wise choice."
Elmesia sipped her tea. "I already began working toward an alliance with Eterna as well. His influence… is too large to ignore."
Leon exhaled, relieved they were aligned.
But there was a problem.
"Atem cares for the children under his protection. I came to ask… have you seen a girl named Chloe?"
Elmesia's expression sharpened.
"You finally decided to trust me. Very well. The five children are: Kenya, Ryota, Gail, Alice, and Chloe Aubert."
Leon's breath caught.
The name he chased for decades.
"You knew… the whole time?"
"Leon-kun." Elmesia tilted her head, smiling sadly. "You hide everything and expect others to understand. Even Shizue stopped trusting you because of it, ex-Hero."
Leon closed his eyes.
"I don't care about being understood. I sacrificed thousands—my hands are already stained. If it means saving her, I'll dirty them further without hesitation."
"That stubbornness is exactly why she'd scold you," Elmesia said flatly.
Leon ignored the jab.
"What matters is that Atem protects them. But someone is trying to drag me out—Rossos? Cerberus? Luminas?"
"Considering your paranoia, I'm impressed you came straight to me."
Elmesia giggled, then grew serious.
"Here's what I've learned. Eterna and Lubelius are stable. Atem and Luminas hold their treaty. Hinata's actions prove that. Cerberus is still a mystery; their leaders barely cooperate with each other. But the Rosso family… they mobilized their entire reserve forces in the north."
Leon narrowed his gaze.
"That means—"
"Yes. Guy Crimson's subordinates will move. And if Guy himself moves…"
Leon scoffed, lifting his chin with pride.
"Atem will kill him. That's not speculation—that's what happened at Walpurgis."
Elmesia stared, speechless.
Leon smirked at her shock.
"But even if it's just his subordinates," she continued, "the Western Nations will be erased."
Leon knew.
Guy's Primordials were enough to shatter countries.
"And the Holy Knight Order is tied down," she added, frustrated. "I'll dispatch the Magus to reinforce the Northern border. As for you—go to Lubelius using our dragon ship."
Leon blinked.
"…You're serious?"
"Of course. You're running out of time."
Teleportation was useless—he had never been inside Lubelius, and their barrier denied forced entry. Air transport was the fastest.
Leon finally stood and bowed slightly.
"My thanks."
"See? You can be honest when you try." She smiled. "One more thing: Cerberus is absolutely trying to pull you into a trap."
Leon answered bluntly.
"I know."
Elmesia sighed dramatically.
"You really are hopeless…"
He turned to leave, but paused—remembering something vital.
"Elmesia. Consider this my token of gratitude."
Leon's voice dropped.
"The Yellow Primordial has disappeared. Be careful."
"Huh?!"
Her face twisted in genuine shock.
Leon chuckled, savoring the moment.
"And here I thought information was your hobby."
He left her speechless, enjoying his small victory.
Once he was gone—
"El… the Yellow Primordial?! Why now—of all times—when half the Magus is away? Everyone is doing whatever they please…"
She clutched her head, overwhelmed.
And far away…
the shadow of Atem, King of Eterna, continued to reshape the world.