Chapter 1
At the crack of dawn, the Demon Realm's royal palace was ablaze with lights, a tapestry of interweaving brilliance.

Innumerable palace servants and guards bustled about, making final preparations for the impending visit of Count Sergio, the special envoy from the Blood Clan.

The palace gates stood open, the vast plaza before it paved with steps, floating lamps seemingly welcoming the esteemed Southern Blood Clan guests.

The construction history of the Nicalis Royal Palace plaza can be traced back thousands of years. At that time, Nicalis Island and Lis Island were not yet separated, and they were surrounded by the breath of purgatory. As seawater extinguished the lava and triggered crustal changes, this place gradually became the choice for a prosperous new capital.

With the application of demon magic and the unremitting efforts of artisans, the naturally undulating terrain not only supported the entire plaza and the palace at its peak, but also showcased the unique architectural art and construction style of the demons.

After countless years of changes and expansions, today's Nicalis Royal Palace plaza has become the center of politics, culture, and power in the Demon Realm.

Many Demon Realm reporters and dignitaries waited in the plaza, while the surrounding streets teemed with demonic figures, eager to witness whether the Blood Clan detective would stir up a storm of blood and gore in the Demon King's city of Nicalis today.

"Your Highness, I know you have some old grievances with the Blood Clan, but please be mindful of your position."

Standing beside Hyperion in the center of the palace plaza, the Fallen Overlord, Calierella, gently reminded her in a soft voice.

"...Understood."

Hyperion wore a silver crown symbolizing royal power, her light blue, crystalline dress shimmering like the brightest stars in the night sky. Her face was coldly beautiful as she responded with certainty.

Hyperion could see out of the corner of her eye that the Fallen Overlord was closing her eyes, taking an attitude of aloof indifference. Yet, the Fallen Overlord's face still resembled Tata's in Hyperion's eyes, preventing Hyperion from disliking her.

To be able to show others the appearance of the woman they loved most was truly too cunning.

Through her time with the Fallen Overlord, Hyperion understood that this Ninth-Order Great Demon seemed polite, but was in fact a smiling tiger who would not tolerate anyone questioning her.

The Fallen Overlord was indeed protecting her, but it was completely different from the care Tata and the Snow Witch showed her.

To the Fallen Overlord, she was nothing more than a priceless and fragile doll.

However, the grudges the Fallen Overlord was referring to must be the incident sixteen years ago in this Shadow World setting, when she was almost killed by the Blood Clan at Lichtenstein Castle on the border of the Huning Empire.

As the eclipse-like sky descended, the spectacle before the Demon Realm royal palace reached its peak.

The interchange of the sun and moon in the sky formed a strange and magnificent scene, and with a veiled sun, the sky appeared a deep purple.

Just as the gazes of all the demons were focused on Princess Hyperion on the palace steps, a black mana-powered vehicle drove from the distant road, its exterior adorned with blood-red patterns, a model custom-made for Blood Clan dignitaries.

It stopped in the plaza, causing a low murmur to ripple through the crowd.

Today was the princess's first public appearance, where she would fully display her ability to handle Demon Realm affairs.

Whether she was merely the Fallen Overlord's pure shield, or a young Highness who had inherited the Demon King's bloodline and possessed a deep scheming mind, would depend on how she clashed with Count Sergio, the Blood Clan detective, today.

The jet-black magic device slowly opened, and a man dressed in the attire of a Huning Empire noble of the South stepped out onto the platform.

His appearance immediately drew everyone's attention.

This tall, slender man with black hair and crimson eyes was clearly Count Sergio, the special envoy of the Blood Clan.

Behind the count, demon guards followed in neat formation.

He glanced at the sky and walked briskly, not wanting to waste any time.

"Princess Hyperion, on behalf of the Blood Clan, I thank you for your warm hospitality."

Count Sergio stepped onto the stairs, approached the princess, and gave her a simple bow.

"Welcome, Lord Sergio."

Hyperion wore an elegant smile on her face, but her eyes did not lack scrutiny of this visitor.

Hyperion was annoyed whenever she saw the Blood Clan.

Her father, Duke Micaiah, had disappeared because of the Blood Clan, and the last time Tata was injured in South Mantina, the Blood Clan was behind it.

She could actually say she hated the Blood Clan to death.

Yet at this moment, she still had to act as a dignified Demon Princess, catering to the Blood Clan envoy and showing him a smile.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

Hyperion asked polite questions.

Her Snow Witch teacher had taught her that as a secret agent, she must remain calm at all times. At this moment, she needed to play the role of a composed princess, as calm as her Snow Witch teacher, and not be swayed by her inner emotions.

Of course, she was indeed a princess, so there was no need to pretend.

"Your Highness only needs to provide convenience and assist my investigation when I seek help. Please, by all means, do not interfere with the rest."

Count Sergio smiled vaguely, his voice low and magnetic.

In fact, both sides were well aware of their respective positions. The more this princess helped, the more likely she would be doing the opposite.

"I won't take up much time. Soon, I'll be able to solve the case."

Count Sergio confidently raised his index finger, pointed it at all the surrounding demons, and added.

His gesture was like telling the murderer, whoever you are hiding in Nicalis City, I will catch you soon.

This aura made the atmosphere in front of the entire royal palace tense up, and even under the magic screen broadcasting the scene, the demon residents could not help but look up at the Blood Clan detective at the center of attention.

"Then I wish you all the best."

Hyperion nodded, then clasped her hands in front of her, maintaining a waiting posture.

As the Blood Clan detective with a 100% success rate in solving cases, Hyperion believed that he would soon be able to successfully find the murderer in Nicalis.

Once the detective, Count Sergio, completed his deduction and found all the evidence, they would fast forward to the trial stage.

These were all unavoidable.

But Hyperion had prepared many countermeasures overnight.

She had ways to make things difficult for Sergio at every step. By then, the Fallen Overlord's subordinates would naturally go all out to destroy the evidence. All she needed to do was openly stall Sergio, predict his actions and what he wanted, and play games with him, so that he could not solve the case in a matter of minutes.

And if all else failed, Lan Qi had taught her how to deal with the prosecutor's attack when she was about to lose.

Just slam the table hard.

The judge would rule that the defendant was too emotional and needed to adjourn the court to take her out to adjust her condition.

Since it was in the Demon Realm's home field, the space for operation would be much greater.

In the art-filled plaza before the royal palace, the reception ceremony continued solemnly. The ancient Demon Realm sculptures and magnificent flower beds on both sides, each flower a species unique to the Demon Realm, exuded a psychedelic fragrance in the dim light of the eclipse.

Guards stood in formation on the stone steps, wearing silver and black armor and holding magic weapons, with majestic and solemn demon patterns engraved on the armor.

At the top of the steps, Princess Hyperion and a group of demon nobles finally finished their greetings with Count Sergio, the special envoy of the Blood Clan.

"May I begin the investigation, Princess Your Highness?"

Sergio asked.

If he rashly used the Blood Clan's authority in the royal capital of Nicalis without the Demon Realm's permission, it might cause the city's defense barrier to suppress him.

"Of course."

Hyperion glanced at the Fallen Overlord and replied to the Blood Clan envoy, Sergio.

"Please fully cooperate with my investigation after I find the murderer, Princess Your Highness. Otherwise, if I can't report back to the Ancestors in the Huning Empire in a reasonable manner, it will be quite troublesome."

Sergio stared at Hyperion.

"Naturally."

Hyperion agreed.

"Mm."

Sergio was very satisfied.

If he caught a high-ranking demon murderer and the evidence was confirmed, their Blood Clan would be able to force the demons to compromise further in the new peace talks.

His task this time was not only to catch the murderer and try to weaken the Demon Clan's voice at the negotiating table, but also to show the demons the royal family's attitude of being dogs for the Blood Clan.

This little princess was undoubtedly an amateur when it came to matters of the mind.

Too naive.

Sergio could see it very easily.

She might be naturally intelligent, but she had too little experience and had not been tempered by life and death.

No matter how excessive the demands he made later, he would force the princess to agree and carry out a step-by-step trial.

It did not matter how long it took to catch the murderer. The princess could delay as much as she wanted. Everything was under his control. The key was that in the process, he would wear away the princess's dignity and make her understand the current position of their Demon Realm relative to the Blood Clan.

Sergio whispered a Blood Clan incantation and activated his power, [Blood Coordinates].

In the damp morning mist of the plaza before the royal palace, the Blood Clan detective Sergio's gaze quietly moved through the shadows, his crimson eyes flickering faintly in the dim sky.

This Demon King's city, a gathering place for the Demon Realm's great dignitaries, a nest filled with demonic power, where every trace of demonic power was clearly visible.

Soon, he would find where the murderer was.

Whoever had red light on their head was the murderer.

Once he had the answer, the next step was just a denunciation process without any suspense.

As the incantation ended, a trace of red demonic power leaked from his gaze, floating like mist, and his eyes were also shrouded in a layer of scarlet.

""

Sergio seemed to hear a buzzing sound in his head and froze in place.

In an instant, he saw that most of the demon dignitaries in the entire Demon King's city were emitting a strange red light!

And he did not know why, but when those demons with red light on their heads looked at him, they seemed to be swallowing subconsciously.

The light was like the color of solidified blood, both bright and chilling, and an unprecedented sense of fear welled up in Sergio's heart.

Just how much of Count Gregory's blood was spilled to produce this color!