**Tension in the palace.**  

The king rose, alarmed.  

— “What are you doing?!”  

Seven patrolwomen advanced in unison.  

Spears raised. Magic activated.  

Souta did not move.  

**Shadow Domain: Activated.**  

All of them froze midair.  

And were hurled against the walls of the hall.  

Gabriel, perplexed:  

— “Dark magic…? Since when does he…?”  

The guard captain advanced.  

Three strikes in sequence.  

Precise. Fast.  

Souta dodged them all.  

But there was something different about this guard…  

He countered with a horizontal slash.  

The captain dodged.  

Struck back.  

Souta caught the blade with his bare hand.  

The metal… was rejected.  

And shattered into pieces.  

Shards flew.  

One pierced the guard’s right eye.  

Another struck his arm.  

He was hurled against the wall.  

Souta observed, curious.  

**“My hand rejected the metal… This defect might be useful.”**  

---

Everyone rose.  

The entire hall on alert.  

Princess Meliora, restless.  

**“Lord Kihara… what are you doing?!”**  

The Court Drones took position.  

Souta walked toward the captain.  

— “You’re very good. What’s your name?”  

He answered firmly.  

— “Roger Gregorie.”  

— “So your name is Roger.  

— Your movements are good… for someone without mana.  

— I liked it. I always thought you were just a weakling who followed orders.  

— Or are you just showing off because Princess Stingara is watching?”  

Souta smiled, provocative.  

— “Whatever.  

— Your talent could rival the sixth celestial general…  

— If the queen hadn’t kept you back to protect her daughters.”  

Roger remained uneasy.  

Souta grew serious.  

— “You’re dangerous.  

— With training, you could improve a lot.  

— That’s why I destroyed your arm and your eye.  

— But if one day you want to join me… you’ll be welcome.  

— In the empire I’ll build… once I kill the Demon King.”  

**THUMP.**  

Silence fell.  

Souta’s aura expanded.  

Sinister. Dense.  

---

The Spear Hero, the Bow Hero, and the Dagger Hero advanced.  

Gabriel tried to stop them:  

— “Wait!”  

Souta dodged the Spear Drone’s strikes.  

Lightning cut the space between them.  

It was Lily Tempestine.  

Ice and lightning crossed in sync.  

Souta grabbed the Spear Hero’s staff.  

The divine relic was rejected.  

The hero was hurled against a pillar.  

Arrows flew.  

Souta dodged.  

Lily advanced.  

— “I like you better this way! More daring. Don’t you dare die!”  

Souta, arrogant:  

— “I should be the one saying that.”  

Arrows struck Lily.  

— “Aaahh! What are you doing, Bow Hero?!”  

— “Sorry, Lily…” he justified, confused.  

**“I could swear I hit Kihara…”**  

**Skill: Distrust — Activated.**  

---

The guards pointed swords, blades, and spears…  

At the other Drones themselves.  

Gabriel tried to approach.  

— “Lord Kihara… you must stop.  

— Or there will be no turning back.”  

His desperation was sincere.  

Gabriel sought an agreement…  

Without using his divine powers.  

Souta released his mana.  

Lily was thrown back.  

Souta seized the Bow Hero’s head.  

And smashed it against the ground.  

---

The king tried to take control.  

He drew his sword.  

— “Kihara Souta! How dare you disrespect my wife?!”  

The movement was immediate.  

The mastery of the blade… evident.  

Creamy spoke in Souta’s mind:  

— “Careful.  

— That blade is similar to a divine relic.  

— Forged from a rare metal that nullifies magic.  

— Only the king can wield it without losing his mind.”  

The king attacked.  

Vertical slashes. Horizontal.  

Souta dodged.  

Returned to the center of the hall.  

Creamy, sarcastic:  

— “Done evaluating the forces of Beeatrix, sir?”  

Souta replied, smiling:  

— “Of course not.”  

He used the **Emanator** skill.  

Blanketed the entire hall with his magical pressure.  

The earth roared.  

The floor trembled.  

The weakest… collapsed unconscious.  

Souta looked around.  

Disdain in his eyes.  

— “You think you can defeat the Demon King like this?  

— Not in a thousand years.  

— You know what? To hell with you all.”  

---