’Why does it have to be him of all people?’ she thought, a rare cold shiver passing through her spine.
Of all the Demon Emperor’s children, it could only be a sign that the one with the biggest sadistic tendency was Noir.
Even when she was a child, she had always avoided him because there was just something unnerving about him.
The feeling was just like the way Nox and the other children in the Barony felt about her, only that hers was much more intense.
Unlike the children who only had speculations, she... she had heard rumors of Noir’s strength and seen his cruelty firsthand.
’What a headache.’ Eve thought with a frown on her face. ’Fortunately, the prince left just in time. If not for that... with Noir here, the barrier wouldn’t remain standing for long, and he would have been killed off.’
Suddenly, the door slammed open, and both Noir and Eve snapped their heads in that direction.
The person who had rushed in was none other than Number Two of the Order of the Flaming Rose.
"I’m sorry for intruding , but you have to see this!" he said with a serious and urgent look on his face.
Eve frowned. "What is it?"
"Come. You have to see it for yourself," Number Two said and rushed out of the room.
Eve hesitated before dashing after him, followed by Noir.
They soon arrived at the roof of the building just in time to witness a portal located in the Noble District of the Royal Capital snap shut, sucking in all the demons nearby.
A look of disbelief shone in Eve’s eyes when she saw this.
Noir’s expression, on the other hand, remained the same—unblinking. But in his heart, he was just as shocked.
"The portals... it’s been for the past couple of hours. They’re closing down one after another," Number Two said. "I thought you’d know something about it."
"We have no idea about this," Eve replied, narrowing her eyes. "I’m sure the invasion is still ongoing. This could only mean one thing..."
"Someone is tampering with the portals," Noir said as he casually stepped forward.
"It’s just as I thought," Number Two mumbled under his breath, his gaze fixed on Noir’s towering back. "Does this mean no more reinforcements will come through?"
"We don’t need any more reinforcements," Noir replied without looking back, the confidence in his voice palpable. "With me here, this kingdom is as good as ours."
There was doubt in Number Two’s eyes when he heard this. Although he could sense the demon prince had immense power, he didn’t think he would be able to take over the castle they had failed to conquer since the beginning of the siege.
Since the Silver Mansion was located in a privileged area close to the royal grounds, it naturally overlooked the Royal Island.
Presently, Noir’s gaze was fixed on the protective barrier in the distance.
The glowing barrier flickered with divine energy—a radiant shield that had withstood countless demon attacks and even coordinated assaults from the Order of the Flaming Rose.
"Since the start of the invasion, not a single demon has breached that barrier..." Number Two muttered grimly.
Noir slowly raised a gloved hand, flexing his fingers lazily. "So noisy... this light is hurting my eyes."
Eve’s eyes narrowed. "Don’t tell me you’re planning—"
A ripple danced through the air as pure demon miasma began to gather around Noir. The wind stopped. The clouds overhead trembled. Even the demons and Flaming Rose members below instinctively halted their attacks and looked up.
Number Two narrowed his eyes at the phenomenon.
Noir’s unblinking gaze shimmered with crimson madness as a faint smirk formed on his lips. "Let me give this kingdom a proper greeting."
He gently placed his foot forward.
The rooftop shattered beneath him as the air exploded outward. The miasma surrounding him slowly condensed into a void sphere in his palm. The sphere pulsed violently, screaming with pressure.
Noir casually extended his hand in the castle’s direction while muttering under his breath, "Null Requiem."
The sphere shot forward like a beam of light and struck the barrier in the distance.
The barrier trembled violently as spiderweb-like cracks began to form. The soldiers left behind panicked, sweat pouring down their faces when they noticed the disturbance.
Under the stunned gaze of Number Two and Eve, the barrier shattered like fragile glass under a hammer, chunks of it scattering into the air.
Now, the royal castle stood fully exposed.
"Impossible!" Number Two felt an unstoppable tremble in his knees. The barrier they had struggled to bring down for weeks had been completely destroyed with a single attack.
In the distance, both the demons and members of the Flaming Rose snapped out of their dazed state and began to chant in jubilation.
"The barrier is finally down!"
"Hahahaha, the capital is finally ours!"
Back on the rooftop, Noir sighed while walking back inside. "I’ll rest for a bit. Wake me up when the humans start begging."
The destruction of the barrier might have been good news for the others, but for Eve...
She clenched her fists. This was not good. She had initially wanted to use the barrier to stall the demons while her plans fell into place. But now that it was destroyed... it was only a matter of time until they discovered that the crown prince and a significant portion of the human army were gone.
"I surrender! Please, please don’t kill me!"
"Of all the demon lords I’ve faced, I must admit—you’re the most pathetic one," Nox said, his voice carrying a hint of disgust as he pressed his foot against the head of the demon sprawled before him.
He and Jared had just cleared this floor as well, and like usual, only the demon lord was left alive.
Nox watched the demon whimpering beneath him. Like the rest, he had been a loudmouth at the start. Just to teach him a lesson, Nox had gone all out—and now he was broken, a shell of his former self.
"Well, since you’re easy to break, you must be even more easy to tame." He placed a hand on the demon’s head and muttered, "Tame."