The so-called "powerful demon" that would descend upon the royal capital… was, of course, nothing more than a performance already arranged by Demiurge.
As for why Ren Kuroda chose to leak that information to Blue Rose ahead of time—there were two reasons.
On one hand, it was a way to earn greater trust from the Re-Estize Kingdom.
On the other… even if he revealed more details about Demiurge, it wouldn't change anything. For a nation where level thirty-something individuals already stood at the peak of power, there was simply no way they could meaningfully respond to such a threat.
The matter of Eight Fingers was important—but a demon powerful enough that even Ren himself claimed he couldn't defeat it?
That was something Blue Rose couldn't afford to ignore.
After Ren and Yuri left, Climb remained standing where he was, visibly conflicted.
Originally, he had intended to chase after them and seek guidance.
But now, with the news about a demon looming over the capital, he felt it was his duty as a royal guard to report everything to Princess Renner as soon as possible.
"Leave the matter of the demon to us—we'll report it to our leader and to the princess," Gagaran said, as if reading his thoughts. She stepped forward and gave Climb a firm pat on the shoulder.
"If you're that concerned, then go after them. Chances to grow stronger don't come often. If you let this one slip by… you might regret it for the rest of your life."
Those words struck deep.
And so, not long after Ren and Yuri left the tavern, Climb followed close behind.
He wanted to grow stronger.
More than that—he wanted to understand how someone his own age could possess such overwhelming power.
But what he didn't expect…
Was that when he finally caught up to them in an alleyway—
Someone else had already intercepted them.
A man with short dark-blue hair, a katana at his waist, stood there blocking their path.
Climb recognized him instantly.
Brain Unglaus—once hailed as a swordsman capable of rivaling the Kingdom's strongest warrior captain, and one of the figures Climb himself had admired.
Yet now…
Brain's expression was almost unhinged, as if he had encountered something he simply couldn't accept.
He was pressing Ren for answers.
Once, Brain Unglaus had truly been a genius swordsman of the kingdom.
But one day, he had encountered a being so monstrously powerful that it shattered him completely.
Reduced to nothing more than a toy… even a nail clipper in that creature's eyes—his spirit had been crushed beyond repair.
Thanks to his close friend, the warrior captain, he had slowly begun to recover.
But then—
One drunken day, he heard a rumor.
The terrifying vampire that had once appeared within the kingdom…
Had been defeated.
And the one who accomplished it was none other than the now-famous adamantite-ranked adventurer team—
"War Demon."
From the moment Brain first heard about the vampire's appearance, he had already suspected her identity:
Shalltear Bloodfallen.
He had even mocked the Adventurer's Guild for issuing a subjugation request, believing it to be nothing more than a death sentence for any who accepted it.
Because in his eyes…
That vampire's power was something humanity could never hope to reach.
Compared to her, even the strongest humans were less than insects.
So when he heard that such a being had been defeated—
His first reaction had been disbelief.
And now, having learned that "War Demon" had arrived in the capital, Brain had cast aside everything else and rushed here to confirm the truth.
Which led to the scene now unfolding before Climb's eyes.
"I don't know whether that vampire was called Shalltear Bloodfallen," Ren said calmly.
"But one thing I can say for certain—she was incredibly strong."
"As for defeating her… it would be more accurate to say she simply grew bored and withdrew on her own."
Brain was one of the few who had truly witnessed Shalltear's power firsthand.
Unlike most ignorant humans, he understood exactly how overwhelming she was.
And since Ren was currently posing as a human adventurer, claiming outright that he had killed her would only raise too many suspicions.
So he chose to downplay it—saying he had merely driven her off.
"No… even forcing her to retreat is already unbelievable!"
Brain shook his head violently.
"Only those who've faced that vampire directly can understand just how terrifying she truly is!"
He took a step forward, voice trembling—not with fear, but with burning desperation.
"This may be presumptuous, but… could you tell me how you became so strong?"
"How did you face something like that—and survive?"
"And me too—please… no, I beg you!"
Before Ren could respond, another voice cut in.
Climb stepped out from the side, unable to hold himself back any longer.
"Please teach me… how to become stronger!"
Brain's presence alone had already been unexpected.
But now, even Climb—someone so earnest and inexperienced—was asking the same question.
That alone spoke volumes.
Standing beside Ren, Yuri was already losing patience. To her, these two humans blocking their path were nothing more than an annoyance.
But just as she was about to step forward and drive them away—
Ren raised a hand, stopping her.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Interesting…"
"You both seek strength."
"In that case, let me ask you something first."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"What do you intend to do with that strength once you have it?"
"What is your purpose?"
Brain fell silent, clearly deep in thought.
But Climb answered without hesitation.
"I want power… so that I can protect Princess Renner."
There wasn't even a trace of doubt in his voice.
"I see."
Ren nodded slowly.
"In that case… let me test you first."
"Let me see how strong your resolve truly is—and whether you even have the capacity to bear that power."
He took a step forward.
"Draw your swords. Plant your feet firmly."
"Because what you're about to face…"
A faint, dangerous smile spread across his face.
"…is true fear."
Though confused, both Brain and Climb instinctively obeyed.
Steel rang out as their blades were drawn.
They stood side by side, bracing themselves.
And then—
Ren's expression turned completely serious.
"Ready?"
"…Demon King's Pressure—activate."
In that deserted alleyway—
The air froze.
An invisible force crashed down upon Brain and Climb like a collapsing mountain.
Ren hadn't moved.
He hadn't even wiped the faint smile from his face.
And yet—
The crushing weight bearing down on them was terrifyingly real.
Their bodies trembled.
Even taking a single step forward felt impossibly difficult.
But what truly broke them…
Wasn't the pressure itself.
It was what came with it.
A tidal wave of killing intent—
Cold, merciless, and absolute—
Swallowed them whole.
...
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