“It’s completely ineffective!”
Seeing Ai Yue take the enemy’s attack head-on without sustaining even a hint of damage, Egrette was utterly stunned.
Even she had felt a tremor of fear from Sonio’s strike. Even at her peak, she felt she would have been unable to resist it; her spirit would have been crushed in an instant.
Yet, facing an attack that concentrated the mental strength and Magic Power of the entire Fourth Demon Lord Territory along with parts of other territories, Ai Yue had surpassed it all on her own.
“That’s why I said Ai Yue’s strength is far beyond our imagination. To deal with that guy, she doesn’t even need to lift a finger to let him walk toward his own destruction.”
Although she was praising Ai Yue, Bululu looked incredibly smug, making Egrette want to punch her.
However, since they had come to save her and she actually agreed with Bululu’s words, she would endure it for now.
Then again, while Ai Yue’s power certainly far exceeded hers, she felt it was a bit unrealistic for a single person to overcome the Demon Race of more than an entire territory, no matter how strong they were. If it were Magic Power or physical strength, it might be one thing, since most Demon Kings could barely manage that, but mental strength was a different matter entirely.
The sheer volume of information from everyone’s dreams combined pouring into one’s mind in an instant would be enough to cause a breakdown, let alone the addition of Sonio’s magic, who specialized in mental-type abilities.
…Wait, Sonio seemed to have told her before that there were two ways to break his Domination. The first was to have mental strength superior to his, and the other was to have superior skill in mental-type abilities. But since Dream Demons were already among the strongest mental-type ability users in the Demon Race, and he was the strongest among them, those left who could surpass him were—
“That’s right, she is Mama after all!”
In the middle of Egrette’s thoughts, Kurimu chimed in, interrupting her train of thought.
“Hmm? What did you just say?”
Just as she asked the question, the battle — no, one should say the one-sided devastation — continued.
“No… How is this possible…”
Sonio, sitting on the ground, began to doubt his own existence.
He had endured so much for this day, secretly using Domination on the Demon Race within his and other Demon Kings’ territories to gather power, and quietly collecting information in preparation. Yet, he couldn’t even leave a scratch on that person.
At this moment, he felt like a clown — no, like a whole circus!
“Well, nothing is impossible. I’m just slightly stronger than you, though it was quite thrilling,” Ai Yue said while raising her hand to make a gesture indicating she was only a tiny bit stronger.
Because her legs had not yet recovered from their weakness, Ai Yue did not step forward to deliver the final blow. However, this behavior combined with her humble attitude looked to Sonio as if she were saying, “A small fry like you isn’t even worth me finishing off personally.”
In an instant, the rage and resentment of being humiliated once again filled Sonio’s heart.
‘Right, nothing is impossible. That person must have used some skill or item I know nothing about; otherwise, it can’t be explained!’
Thinking this, Sonio circulated his remaining mental strength and Magic Power to activate a spell.
This was a derivation of a Dream Demon’s ability to enter and manipulate the Dream Domain, capable of reading the target’s internal thoughts — in other words, Mind-reading Magic.
‘Exactly. As long as I read her mind, I can find out what method she used and counter it!’
‘Luckily, I didn’t choose to give up, or the future would surely have been a cruel and inhuman end.’
【Luckily, I didn’t choose to give up, or the future would surely have been a cruel and inhuman end.】
“Wha—!?”
Having just read the first sentence, Sonio was so frightened he couldn’t help but cry out.
This was impossible! That person had actually predicted his thoughts and even knew that he could read minds!
‘No! This might just be a coincidence. Read it again!’
【It might just be a coincidence…】
At that moment, Sonio’s back turned cold, and cold sweat broke out all over his body.
Fear climbed up Sonio’s spine like countless insects. A sense of despair and helplessness swept over his entire body in an instant, constantly battering his mental defenses.
To the point that it made him recall a memory from many years ago, when the Demon Realm had not yet been unified.
Facing Ai Yue, who had come to ask if he would submit, Sonio had only launched a disdainful attack. However, as if time had reversed and all actions were nullified, Ai Yue had knocked him to the ground before his attack could even land. What followed was a night-long beating. No matter how much he begged or screamed, Ai Yue remained indifferent until the sun rose and his face was beaten beyond recognition — a change that was permanent.
He was nothing more than an insect that could only dance in Ai Yue’s hands according to her will, one that could be crushed at any moment.
Perhaps because the trauma had resurfaced, or perhaps because he had lost the support of his Magic Power, Sonio’s handsome face peeled away, revealing his original appearance — a face so bruised and swollen it looked like an ugly Orc.
It was for no other reason than the beating Ai Yue had given him before; the damage caused then had failed to heal even after so many years.
By now, he had lost all will to fight, simply sitting on the ground.
“It looks like it’s over,” Bululu declared the outcome of the battle.
“I suppose… it is…”
This overly one-sided battle was shocking, enough to reset the worldview of Egrette, the Blood Queen who had lived for countless ages.
“Ai Yue didn’t even make a move, and yet the enemy was defeated…”
“Well, of course! Mama Ai Yue is the strongest!”
“…Mama?”
Hearing that word again, Egrette felt confused.
Why did Kurimu call Ai Yue “Mama”? Had Ai Yue adopted Kurimu?
But why? More importantly, why “Mama” and not “Big Sister” or something similar?
“Indeed, there is no being that can compare to Master Ai Yue.”
Just then, Bululu’s voice rang out.
Listening to those calls of “Master Ai Yue” and seeing Bululu and Kurimu pounce on her, Egrette felt a sudden emotion rise in her heart.
It was anger — extreme anger, a rage born of intense jealousy.
It wasn’t enough that she took the position that originally belonged to her; now even her daughter…
As if resonating with the intense emotion, the already despairing Sonio caught a glimpse of this anger.
Then, a final scheme surfaced in Sonio’s mind, causing him to break into a wicked grin.
“Heh heh… Hahahaha! Great Demon King Ai Yue! You think it ends like this? No! Even if I die, I will never let you off!!”