The ground trembled violently, splitting the earth in jagged lines as the sky darkened into an unnatural abyss.
"What… what is happening?!"
A cultivator's voice trembled as fear spread through the ranks.
Emilia stepped forward, her eyes locked onto the distant black mountains.
A massive void began to tear itself open in the sky—an endless, devouring black hole.
"What is… that thing?" she asked, her voice low, yet laced with unease.
Kuto glanced at it briefly, then lazily tilted his head toward Rien.
"What do you think about that black hole, Rien?"
Rien stood still.
Then—he smiled.
A calm, almost indifferent smile.
He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze meeting the void itself.
"That… is a Demonic Portal," he said quietly.
"A privilege reserved only for a Demon Lord."
The sky cracked.
A formless shockwave erupted from the portal, slicing through clouds like fragile glass.
Rien continued, his tone unchanged—
"The one arriving… wields the sword Xeno."
A pause.
"A weapon acknowledged even by immortal beings."
The air grew heavier.
"It doesn't just cut matter… it cuts concepts. Space, time, causality—irrelevant. Even existence itself can be severed."
Another tremor.
"And if that wasn't enough…" Rien's eyes gleamed faintly,
"It can replicate any attack… perfectly, instantly… without limit."
Silence fell.
Kuto casually finished his dumpling, chewing without the slightest concern.
"So basically… a walking transcendental anomaly," he muttered.
"Sounds like something straight out of fiction."
Rien stepped forward.
No hesitation. No tension.
"It will be a good fight."
Kuto smirked and followed.
"I'm pretty sure that's not the only problem," he added, glancing ahead.
From the mountains—
They came.
Countless demons.
Massive. Twisted. Radiating overwhelming pressure that crushed the air itself.
Emilia's expression hardened as she turned to the cultivators.
"Everyone, take your positions! Prepare the formation—"
A hand rested gently on her shoulder.
Kuto.
"Forget it," he said calmly.
Emilia frowned. "What do you mean?"
Kuto smiled—relaxed, almost amused.
"That's way out of your league."
He gestured toward the army behind her.
"Take them… and run."
His eyes shifted forward, toward the portal.
"The real show is about to begin."
Without waiting for a response, he walked past her—joining Rien.
The portal expanded.
Darkness spilled into reality.
And then—
He stepped out.
The Demon Lord.
Kuto gazed at the Demon Lord, his eyes reflecting the swirling cosmic flames that wrapped around the being like a living constellation.
The Demon Lord's body was sculpted to perfection—muscular, divine, and impossibly flawless. Every movement carried an authority that didn't belong to mere existence.
Kuto smiled softly.
"He's… actually very attractive."
The words came out casually—as if he were admiring art, not a being capable of ending reality.
Without warning—
The Demon Lord moved.
A single, effortless slash of his blade across the empty air.
No resistance.
No sound.
And then—
Everything vanished.
The world collapsed into a boundless, colorless void. No sky. No land. No time.
Only silence.
Kuto blinked, looking down at the endless nothing beneath his feet.
"What… where are we?"
Rien stood still, his expression unchanged. His eyes rested on the Demon Lord, calm as ever.
"He erased existence."
A small smile formed on his lips.
Then—
Rien lifted his gaze slightly, almost lazily.
"Come down."
His voice was quiet, yet carried absolute authority.
"I don't like raising my head for someone like you."
A pause.
And then—
Reality returned.
In less than a blink.
The empire, the sky, the mountains—everything reassembled perfectly, as if nothing had ever been lost.
Rien exhaled softly.
"I can do that infinitely."
His tone was peaceful. Almost bored.
Kuto immediately dropped to the ground, hugging it tightly.
"That's great… this world came back…"
He let out a relieved sigh, clinging to the land like it might disappear again at any moment.
Rien stretched his arms upward, completely unfazed.
"Hurry up," he said casually.
"This chapter already has a low word count."
A slight glance toward the Demon Lord.
"I'd rather not waste it standing like this."
High above—
The Demon Lord observed him.
Silently.
Calmly.
Then—
He vanished.
And reappeared in front of Rien.
No distortion. No delay.
Just absolute relocation.
"You are going to die."
His voice was heavy—like a verdict written into reality itself.
He raised his sword and pointed it directly at Rien.
Rien's eyes shifted to the blade.
For a moment—
Nothing.
Then he casually tilted his hand.
"You're Xeora… the ruler of the Demon Realm."
His tone held faint amusement.
"And yet… you have time for something this pointless?"
A small, dramatic smile curved on his lips as he met Xeora's gaze directly.
"There's no benefit in attacking this empire. It's already drowning in conflicts."
A brief pause.
"Or… did you lose your composure?"
A ripple of dark energy formed—
And a Demoness emerged beside the Demon Lord.
Elegant. Terrifying. Absolute in presence.
She bowed deeply, her voice filled with reverence.
"This is the origin of the Demon Realm…
The master of the Demonic Plains…
The one revered across both the Demon Realm and the Divine Realm…"
Her hand extended toward him.
"The Supreme Demon Lord—Xeora."
Kuto stood up, dusting off his hanfu with a calm expression.
He stepped forward slightly and gestured toward Rien with quiet formality.
"This is Rien Kinohutsu."
He sat back down immediately after, as if introductions were the only thing that mattered.
As the entire demon army surged forward, their eyes burning with ravenous hunger, the ground trembled beneath their charge.
"They're coming," Kuto said, a confident smile curling on his lips.
He rose slowly.
From his body erupted two overwhelming forces—black cosmic flames that devoured light itself, and crimson Asura flames that pulsed like a living inferno. The air distorted, unable to withstand the pressure of his presence.
"Then let's begin."
In an instant—he vanished.
Kuto reappeared amidst the horde like a phantom of destruction. His hand shot forward, gripping a demon's skull—
Crack.
It burst like glass.
Blood sprayed across the battlefield as he moved again—too fast to follow, leaving only torn bodies and fading screams in his wake.
The Demoness watched, her expression tightening with both awe and unease. She turned toward the throne of darkness.
"He is… powerful, my Lord," she said, her voice low yet desperate. "Grant me permission… to kill that boy."
The Demon Lord gave a silent nod.
In the next moment—
He was gone.
Space itself folded as the Demon Lord appeared before Rien, his blade already descending. The strike tore through the fabric of reality, distorting time and space as it aimed straight for Rien's head.
"You truly believe… you can touch me?" Rien's voice was calm—almost amused. "How pitiful."
The blade stopped.
Mid-air.
Just inches away from his skin.
A silent, invisible force held it in place.
"What…?" Xeora's eyes widened, a flicker of disbelief breaking through his composure. "Why can't I cut it?"
He pulled his sword back, landing lightly before Rien, now cautious… alert.
Rien smiled faintly.
Then, he extended his hand.
"This… is Absolute."
The air warped.
"An invisible barrier that rejects all interference… even the concept of non-existence itself."
His voice was soft, almost peaceful—yet it carried an overwhelming authority.
"And yet… you tried to touch me."
Step by step, Rien walked forward.
Unstoppable.
The Demon Lord's grip on his sword tightened slightly—
For the first time…
He did not move carelessly.
Rien's lips curled into a calm smile as he gazed into his eyes.
"This battle ends here… for now."
His voice softened.
"We'll continue in the next chapter."
A faint glint appeared in his eyes.
"The word count… has already been fulfilled."