"So, the reports are first made to the Demon Kings and all the Demon Noble Family heads individually. Then everyone is called back at the end so the merits and awards would be given out."
At McEnda's explanation, Evan couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the Demon Kings who had to sit through numerous presentations daily.
Still, their titles weren't for free. This was part of their responsibilities.
Besides, Deity Realm existences had a lot of stamina, so it wasn't as if they'd get physically tired.
The only real challenge would be enduring the mental strain of dealing with any particularly absurd or poorly prepared presentations.
At that moment, a powerful aura erupted beyond the energy-sealing walls of the Hall. It didn't take long for them to realize what had happened—someone had angered a Demon King.
"We're not next, right?"
Barron asked, more to reassure himself than anything else.
Fortunately, another group was scheduled before them. Representatives from a world called Aralung were up first, with their group, Aramis, following afterwards, thanks to the alphabetical order.
Relieved, they continued their casual wait. Some minutes later, a chamberlain knocked on the door, signalling it was time to prepare.
Alvey picked up his stack of reports, pausing to take a steadying breath. Thoughts of what the day might hold flitted through his mind.
If everything went smoothly, he was confident he'd earn a Noble Rank of his own—and he silently hoped it would surpass his father's 'Lower Fourth,' just to rub it in the old man's face.
"You nervous? No need to be. You'd be fine."
McEnda said, clapping Alvey on the shoulder in encouragement. However, a moment later, his expression shifted, as if a troubling thought had surfaced.
"Well, they didn't pay full attention before so they didn't notice it, but they'd surely figure out we'd been stalling on Gledea this time.
If my guess is correct, they'd probably give us an ultimatum."
"There would be no problems. I've accumulated all the achievements I needed."
The two exchanged a glance, silently reaffirming the strategy they'd devised years ago during their first operation in Gledea.
It was a calculated delay to give Alvey more time to build his merits, and now, they would see if the gamble paid off.
[Aramis Prime Representatives.]
At the sound of the mechanical voice, the doors to their waiting room swung open, and they stepped out into the hallway.
Passing the group from Aralung, who had just finished their presentation, they approached the grand double doors leading into the Hall of Stars.
The doors opened automatically and they stepped into the heart of the Interstellar Citadel, the 'Hall of Stars'.
Its high ceilings mirrored the night sky, with a vast, pillarless space capable of holding thousands.
Above, illusory star maps adorned the ceilings, depicting Gozon at the centre, encircled by the nearby celestial bodies. As the map panned outward, the full extent of Gozon's Interstellar Empire came into view, showcasing as many of its colonies as the display could hold.
The eyes of the thousands of Demon Noble family heads turned in their direction, heavy gazes boring into the ten of them with intensity.
Toward the far end of the circular hall sat the Race Lords—the Demon Lords.
Finally, at the opposite end of the doors was a collection of 72 Thrones haphazardly arranged on an inclined elevated platform.
In the centre, were two thrones placed side by side, reserved for the two 'Supremes' of this generation of 'Demon Kings'.
The closer one's position to the central dais, the greater their rank and power. Closest to the thrones were the Senior and Junior Demon Lords, followed by the heads of Noble Families.
As Evan and the others advanced into the hall, an unseen force brushed against him—a torrent of oppressive energy emanating from the Demon Deities in attendance.
|Threat of Imminent Death to Host Detected ⚠|
|Threat Classification: Higher Existential|
|Chances of Survival: -1000%|
|Reincarnated Hero System Stored Authority Consumed|
|Activating 'Survį̶͆v̸͇̏ḁ̶̄l̵̲̓ ̶̦̌É̶̢ṅ̷̬h̶͆͜a̵̳̍n̷͜͠c̵̳̈́e̸̺͠m̷͙͛e̶̫̒n̸͔̈t̷̼̕ ̵͕̅M̷͌͜o̴̎-----!!!|
|ERROR #99! |
|REBOOTING…|
Evan froze.
The System had literally just crashed.
Leaving that unprecedented occurrence aside, all his instincts as a living being screamed at him to reconsider stepping any further.
Still, he didn't exactly have the luxury of choice here.
He glanced at Arthur who was looking around casually, and for a moment, he wondered how the boy could afford such nonchalance before the oppressive power of the Demon Deities.
But then, he remembered Arthur having said that all his family members were Deities. The godslayer had grown up around such existences, so this was something he was used to.
Evan, by contrast, had never directly experienced such suffocating power. It froze him in his tracks.
Fortunately, he had a saving grace.
Within moments, the Universe's Devour Class system activated. The overwhelming pressure was swiftly filtered, the raw power distilled into lines of translucent text that hovered in his field of vision, offering him a semblance of clarity amidst the suffocating aura.
[The 'Demon King of Destruction' observes you with keen interest]
[The 'Demon Queen of Flames' shows surprise at the flame power you carry]
[The 'Demon King of Frost' watches you with a narrowed gaze.]
[The 'Demon King of Time' watches you intently]
[The 'Demon Queen of Gravitas' questions why you bear another Demon King's Blessing]
[The 'Demon King of Truth' questions the absurdity of your existence]
[…]
'Questions the what?'
Evan knew he was an Irregular, but he hadn't thought his existence that Irregular that a Demon King would find it absurd.
Taking a deep breath, he finally raised his gaze, blinking as he tried to perceive the Demon Deities before him with his conventional sight.
72 High Tier Deities, all in the Superior Stage.
If he had still been at the Epic Level, he might not have been able to tell, but now, as a Legendary, his heightened perception of Universal Laws made the truth unavoidable.
Overwhelming.
The sheer, egregious volume of Universal Law Energy swirling within the bodies of these seventy-two beings was staggering.
Evan blinked repeatedly, his vision straining to translate their forms from incomprehensible masses of planet-busting energy into recognizable humanoid shapes.
'It's more than that… I just can't comprehend its full depths...'
Steeling himself, Evan shut off his Danger Sense, which was blaring incessantly in his mind, drowning him in its alarms. As silence returned to his thoughts, he glanced up at the faces of the Demon Rulers.
And then his eyes widened in shock—and recognition.
'…I know these faces…I've seen these faces before…'
Evan's thoughts drifted back to the GEE-Wolfen War, to the Facility in Cudjour where he and Heather had fallen into.
The Hall of Statuses where he had seen the Statues of hundreds of beings from various races.
The faces on the Demon Statues he'd seen there…
They were the same as the faces staring at him now.
'Sillmothon, Thorneheart, Olveth, Xellmonnod, Agriker, Valren, Orkorin… damn, those statues were really of the 72 Demon Kings after all!'
He'd already guessed as much before, but seeing them assembled now confirmed it beyond any doubt.
"We Greet the Rulers of Gozon."
It was then Alvey's voice rang out as he stepped forward, speaking as the Main Representative of their group. The other demons followed his lead, dropping to one knee in unison behind him.
Evan continued looking around even then, and finally, his gaze settled on the two beings in the centre.
Although Evan couldn't fathom the full extent of the power these Demon Deities possessed, his soul told him that those two in the centre; were unquestionably the most powerful entities on this planet.
On the right was a salt-and-pepper-haired man with a commanding presence. His chiselled features were complemented by a neatly trimmed beard and piercing dark blue eyes.
He wore an official mess dress with the first few buttons open.
One look at the man's face, however, was all Evan needed for recognition to strike—he bore a striking resemblance to a certain Archdemon standing nearby.
[The 'Demon King of Corrosion' wonders if you've been enjoying his 'Blessing']
McEnda II: He, the Darkness that Corrodes all.
Evan met the man's gaze and gave a subtle nod in acknowledgement, before shifting his gaze to the other 'Supreme King' —the one Evan had heard so much about.
The one Conroe had claimed to have seen him with.
This man appeared shockingly young, his features so strikingly handsome that even Vampires and Incubi, renowned for their otherworldly beauty, would envy him.
His crystal-clear blue eyes, resembling untouched pools of water, held an unnatural depth, but within their elongated black pupils lurked something predatory.
Dressed in a three-piece suit and tie, he propped his chin on his palm, exuding an aura of casual dominance.
Perhaps it was because of the Blessing Evan had from the future EOTD, or perhaps it was something else entirely, but the moment Evan laid eyes on him, one thing became clear: This man was the kind that could SHIFT+DELETE someone from existence.
[The 'Demon King of the Void' gazes at you with light surprise]
Westley: He, the one who comes from the Beyond.
The 'Demon King' who wasn't even a Demon.
Suddenly, Demon King Westley's eyes widened in realization, his gaze repeatedly alternating between Arthur and Evan.
Noticing his reaction, the two boys turned to each other, confusion giving way to understanding as the reason for Westley's shock hit them like a freight train.
In perfect unison, they raised their hands and pointed—Evan at Arthur and Westley, Westley at Evan and Arthur, and Arthur at Evan and Westley— before blurting out the exact same two-word question.
"""YOU TOO?!"""