Chapter 427: Demon King's Colosseum
As Leohart explained, Mio Naruse kept nodding her small head.
"All this commotion just to make us go to some alternate dimension fighting arena?"
Not only was Mio completely bewildered after hearing this, but Sheila, Lucia, and even Leohart himself couldn't understand what the Sacred Assembly was thinking.
The so-called colosseum was an alternate dimension left behind from ancient times.
This space normally doesn't appear and requires special means to open.
There's one condition for entering this space: one must possess Demon King bloodline. It doesn't have to be pure, but it must be present.
The Demon King bloodline referred to here specifically means the bloodline of ancestors who once ruled this region - that is, Wilbert's lineage.
Precisely because of this requirement, after Wilbert's death, no matter how unwilling the old fools in the Sacred Assembly were, they could only watch as Leohart, who suddenly appeared possessing the Demon King bloodline, ascended to the throne.
This alternate dimension colosseum was created and left behind by a previous Demon King.
Its purpose was singular: to prevent descendants from plunging the entire family into civil war while competing for the Demon King position.
Not only can only demons with Demon King bloodline enter the colosseum, but once inside, the only way to leave is by killing one's opponent.
No matter how the competition for the Demon King position unfolds, when only one qualified person remains, there's naturally nothing left for family members to fight over.
However, with the passage of time and changing eras, as the prosperous family declined, this colosseum hadn't been used for a long time.
Moreover, even if multiple young demons qualified to inherit the Demon King position appeared in the same generation, it rarely developed to the point where such deadly combat was necessary to determine the final successor.
More often than not, most would support the most outstanding candidate.
Then other candidates, seeing no hope, would give up and content themselves with being nobles.
Due to the butterfly effect of chaotic changes, Haruto wasn't sure what methods the Sacred Assembly would use. But now it seemed those old fools only had this much capability, ultimately resorting to the same old tricks.
On the surface, this was meant to make Leohart and Mio Naruse completely opposed, forcing one to die.
In reality, the Sacred Assembly planned to take advantage of Leohart being trapped in the colosseum to use their controlled heroic spirit forces to eliminate all his supporters and armies.
Compared to Haruto's memories, many elements were missing here - such as something similar to Rating Games that were supposedly arena battles but actually large-scale performances with announcers and audiences, plus the closeness with Wilbert's old subordinates.
Yet ultimately, the Sacred Assembly decided to adopt the method of flipping the table.
Mio Naruse naturally wouldn't actually cooperate by offering her neck for execution. No matter how cooperative she might be, there was no reasoning that would justify such action, and Leohart didn't have that much face to ask for it.
Or perhaps, if he truly dared to make such a demand, he would be the one to die.
Haruto's root bloodline also contained a portion provided by Mio Naruse.
Even if that alternate dimension refused to acknowledge it, it couldn't stop him from forcibly breaking through.
According to Leohart's suggestion, the hope was that after Mio Naruse was summoned to the Arena, she would simply refuse to enter, openly admitting her fear and conceding defeat in front of all the residents of the Demon Lord's Castle.
This way, the ritual would still be observed to some extent.
Those below might be dissatisfied, especially those anticipating a grand battle between Demon Lords, but no one would be able to exploit the situation to stir up trouble.
Ideals are plump, but reality is bony.
If everything went smoothly, Mio Naruse wouldn't have to take any risks, and the matter could be resolved satisfactorily.
After all, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old high school girl, who had only stepped into the supernatural world for half a year, being afraid of battle and fleeing at the last moment—such behavior was entirely normal.
With proper guidance afterward, not only would she lose no face, but she might even gain a reputation for knowing when to yield, proving her wisdom.
On the other hand, Leohart had managed things quite well over the years.
In truth, not many people likely supported a teenage girl becoming the Demon Lord, even if she was Wilbert's biological daughter.
If Mio Naruse were willing to be a "flower vase princess," aside from the Cardinal Council, everyone would be quite pleased.
Speaking of which, Maria also carried Wilbert's bloodline.
However, because she leaned more toward Sheila's Succubus heritage and didn't even have red hair, this little princess seemed to be overlooked, whether intentionally or not.
That said, since the Cardinal Council proposed this method, it was clear they had backup plans.
The Arena wasn't a place Mio Naruse could simply choose not to enter.
Once she stepped inside, Leohart would inevitably be trapped.
The closer their strengths were, the longer he would be confined.
Moreover, the more harmonious their relationship, the harder it would be to strike a fatal blow, indirectly prolonging the time Leohart needed to escape.
This was why the Cardinal Council didn't interfere with Mio Naruse and Leohart's interactions—in fact, they welcomed them.
If both Mio Naruse and Leohart were forced into the Arena, would they truly fight to the death?
Although Mio Naruse's strength had grown rapidly, she was still some distance away from the Satan-Class.
Without tapping into the power sealed within her, she was indeed no match for Leohart.
In that scenario, would Leohart truly hold back?
Would he watch his loyal subordinates and countless innocent demon civilians die tragic deaths, obediently remaining trapped while waiting for external forces to slowly find a solution—a solution that might not even work, ultimately forcing the two to decide life or death?
Everyone present had thought of this point.
Yet no one voiced it aloud. On Leohart's side, they were deliberately playing dumb.
On Haruto's side, they were confident and planned to turn the situation to their advantage.
Haruto couldn't be bothered to dwell on Leohart's petty schemes. Anyone capable of securing the position of Demon Lord couldn't possibly be a purely virtuous demon.
Even Sirzechs was a ruthless and cruel individual.
Not only had he earned a fearsome reputation on the battlefield, but he had also used his charm to seduce Grayfia, who was then a general of the enemy forces.
If they truly entered the Arena, whether Leohart survived would depend entirely on his own choices.
Leaving aside the power sealed within Mio Naruse herself, with Haruto by her side, Leohart stood no chance of harming her.
The atmosphere in the spacious palace hall grew somewhat awkward.
Faced with Naruse Mio's confusion, Leohart had no answers either.
After a long while, following Haruto's indication through the soul network, Naruse Mio finally nodded in agreement.
Sheila, who hadn't yet formed a contract, remained unaware of the news. Seeing Mio agree so readily, she couldn't hide a flicker of surprise.
Shouldn't this matter be discussed back home? How could she agree so easily?
But she was no young girl after all, quickly composing herself and masking her thoughts beneath a charming smile.
Still, Leohart keenly sensed something. Ironically, this made him trust her more, simply attributing it to Mio's naivety in making decisions without consultation.
"Very well, it's settled then. I'll discuss the specific timing with the Cardinal Council and notify you later," Leohart said, worried Mio might change her mind. "Feel free to enjoy the city these next few days—all expenses are on me. Actually, I have an vacant residence; why don't you stay there during your visit?"
"That won't be necessary," Sheila interjected promptly, concerned Mio might agree again. "Lord Ramsus has rarely reunited with his niece." We'd like to spend more time at his place." She feared being under constant surveillance would leave no room for escape if needed.
Leohart didn't insist, watching as Sheila led Mio and Maria out of the Demon King's palace.
Upon returning to the residence, without even greeting Ramsus, Sheila hurried into her room, activated a barrier, and began questioning immediately.
Haruto had no choice but to reiterate the information he'd contemplated through the soul network.
"So that's how it is..." Sheila relaxed, sitting on the bed, her fair, delicate feet swaying unconsciously—utterly adorable.
With Haruto as backup, she stopped worrying about Mio and instead focused on something peculiar.
"Is that Soul Contract really that miraculous?" the loli succubus wife couldn't help but exclaim. "I was standing right there, yet I didn't sense any fluctuations at all."
"Yes, it's truly that miraculous."Much like the ability to transform into a black cat, through the spirit contract's transformation, the master-servant contract derived from Sheila's lineage had been completely transformed into a wondrous ability."
At its core, the master-servant contract was about restraint—some versions were more direct, where betrayal meant death.
Sheila's contract would cause her to fall into heat if she betrayed her master.
If touched by anyone other than her master, her sanity would shatter, turning her into a mere plaything only knowing how to beg for pleasure.
Haruto's Soul Contract, however, couldn't be described as merely different—it was entirely unlike that.
"Mother, when I told you before, you didn't believe me…"
Lucia teased her mother with a playful look, "Now you can test it out for yourself."
Beyond facilitating communication, the Soul Contract's greater strengths lay in enhancing the soul-deep effects of dual cultivation and enabling shared fate.
To be honest, Haruto was somewhat reluctant to use a precious slot on Sheila, especially since all those who had contracted with him so far were virgin beauties.
There's a saying: judge a person by their actions, not their thoughts, for no one is a saint in their heart.
Sensing Sheila's interest, Haruto took the initiative, "The next full moon isn't far off. Since we can't return now anyway, Aunt Sheila, why not form a contract with me then? It'll not only improve our safety when we split up later but also make communication easier."
After reaching the level of a mid-tier deity, Haruto had gained many more slots for Soul Contracts.
With a limit of only four contracts per month, he still had plenty of openings.
Sheila didn't speak, but the pace of her fair feet swaying quickened slightly, and her rosy lips curved upward a bit. Her originally seductive and exquisite face now carried a trace of genuine happiness.
Though she didn't voice it, after discovering the truth, she had felt somewhat excluded by Haruto and the other two. Now, she finally felt fully integrated into the group.
Unlike Grayfia and Venelana, both beautiful married women, Sheila, though also a wife, had lost her husband.
As for the issue of seniority…
Not only did Haruto have no plans to raise offspring, but even if he did impregnate Sheila, the three succubi mother and daughter would see it as entirely inconsequential.
Compared to that, it was Sheila's reserve and self-esteem as an elder that made her feel somewhat shy.
But by now, she deliberately overlooked that.