Chapter 51: The Crossroads of Power: Allies, Betrayals, and the Vanguard’s Stand

– “Not in My Dictionary”

The Demon King’s palace.

The subordinates of the Demon Queen hesitated, their voices filled with trepidation.

“The Queen is awaiting you in the west wing.”

“I will not go to the west wing.”

“What? The Queen will be furious!”

Panic-stricken, the subordinates tried to dissuade him, but the prince remained unfazed.

“Mother, was meeting the Queen your reason for coming to the palace?”

Hae Eung Eung shook her head.

Her objective was to retrieve the Mirror of Serenity and return to the human realm.

Even if the path to the human realm lay with the Demon Queen, there was no need to meet her before reclaiming the mirror.

But how should this be communicated? After all, the palace was essentially the prince’s home.

However, destroying the solid marble floor with her sword to write a message wasn’t an option.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Hae Eung Eung’s gaze fell on the prince’s scarred hand.

“Mother?”

She held his large, rough hand with one of hers and began tracing letters on his palm with the other.

“!!”

The smooth and slightly cool touch of Hae Eung Eung’s hand against his skin sent an electric sensation through the prince’s body.

Her movements demanded his complete attention, making it feel as if his mind had been utterly cleared, focused solely on her.

Yet, the prince refused to waver.

She had traced the characters for precious object. Without any ulterior motives, she had simply written to convey her intention.

“You seek a precious object. Understood. The remaining legacy of the Demon King isn’t in the west or east wings but in the main hall. Let us proceed there.”

The soldiers, who had assumed the prince would naturally head toward the Demon General after declining the Queen, were caught off guard.

The two ruling powers of the Demon Realm’s capital, who had divided the palace between them, were completely disregarded by the prince’s lofty demeanor.

Though they had noted his exceptional character on their way here, they hadn’t expected this level of audacity.

“Pathetic fools. Run along to your masters now. Since when do the likes of a Queen or General have the authority to summon a prince at their whim?”

Maga, sporting a sly grin, taunted them further, fanning the flames of their humiliation.

Flushed with anger and shame from the blatant insult, the Demon Queen’s subordinates and the General’s elite guards retreated, each heading toward the west and east wings, respectively.

With those meddlesome observers finally out of the way, their path was now clear.

“This way.”

Recalling the days when he had freely roamed the palace as a child, the prince strode through the main hall without hesitation.

After the treasures were plundered by the Great Demon, the palace had become a desolate, ownerless place, divided and claimed by the Demon Queen and the Demon General’s forces. Their muddy footprints had trampled and sullied the once-pristine main hall.

When the prince placed his hand on the securely locked doors of the Throne Chamber, the mechanism clicked open, as if recognizing its master. The doors swung wide, almost as if wagging their tails in welcome.

“This was where the Demon King conducted his affairs. ”

“Beyond this lies the library, where a hidden passage leads to the treasure vault containing the precious objects.”

The capital of the Demon Realm.

The prince was now close to achieving his goals. The final steps awaited.

Thud, thud, thud.

Rumble.

The heavy, earth-shaking footsteps reverberated through the building.

Though the figures were not yet visible, the overwhelming surge of power could be felt from afar, an ominous presence approaching.

Hae Eung Eung’s hand instinctively rested on the hilt of her sword.

‘This definitely feels like the boss fight arena.’

The two rulers of the palace the Demon Queen and the Demon General had arrived.

[Story Mode]

The Throne Chamber of the Demon King.

A forsaken space in the abandoned palace, one no one dared to visit.

Now, as the illegitimate prince revisited it, two colossal figures burst into the chamber.

One was a toad demon clad in resplendent robes, its massive form radiating menace.

The other was a bear demon armored from head to toe, an intimidating aura surrounding it.

[Daring to enter the Throne Chamber without so much as a bow, like the lowborn wretch you are!]

[Instead of humbly crawling in on your knees, how dare you sit there and summon the Queen, who is as a mother to you?]

[While I hold no fondness for the Queen’s ambitions, I must agree with her today.]

[Had you kept your head down and lived quietly, we might have left you alone. ]

[But after causing such a grand commotion, do you truly believe you’ll walk away unscathed?]

The Demon Queen and the Demon General—two powers who had divided the palace between them after its master’s disappearance—now loomed over the prince.

As Maga tried to speak up with his usual cunning, the Queen bellowed:

[Silence your tongue!!!]

Her breath swelled her form to twice its original size, and she unleashed a thunderous roar that shook the entire chamber.

[Ugh!]

[Wendigo, my ears!]

Maga stumbled, overwhelmed, while Wendigo clutched his ears in agony from the deafening volume.

The Queen’s voice was like a weapon, her sheer ferocity rendering Maga and his allies momentarily defenseless.

[Do the likes of you, mere followers of a lowborn prince, fail to understand your place?]

[How dare you interrupt a conversation among your superiors?]

[Know your station, wretches!]

Her violent temperament and booming voice activated Maga’s innate survival instincts.

Recognizing the strength of his opponent, he wisely retreated, ducking behind a pillar in the Throne Chamber without another word.

[Simply sitting on the throne does not make one a king.]

[Do you think we left the throne empty for so long out of reverence?]

[Sitting there means becoming the target of every schemer and usurper in existence. Have you truly prepared yourself for that burden?]

The bear demon general, Viktro, stood tall at 11 cheok (approximately 3.6 meters), towering over Wendigo, who himself was an imposing 9 cheok (3 meters).

Viktro’s sheer size and commanding presence seemed to dwarf everything in the room.

His pressure weighed heavily on the prince, as well as Wendigo and Boogeyman, who stood protectively before him.

Step back.

Clatter.

The sheer force of his presence caused them to involuntarily retreat, even shaking the wardrobe doors behind them.

There was no mistaking it these were adversaries who demanded utmost vigilance.

“-Ugh… geez…”

“Where is the beautiful Queen…?”

“The Queen’s power level is easily 3,000.”

“She must’ve claimed her throne through sheer strength, lol.”

“This is just insane.”

“I’ve never seen Boogeyman’s wardrobe get rattled open before a fight even starts.”

“Wait, we’re not really going to fight both of them, are we??”

The audience, observing the overwhelming display of dominance by the two ruling powers, couldn’t hide their apprehension.

Even a single one of these formidable demons would be an insurmountable challenge. Facing both simultaneously seemed an impossible feat, even for the Silent Swordsman.

Survival appeared unlikely.

[Story Mode]

“Hahaha! How desperate of you. Threats and brute force will get you nowhere.”

The illegitimate prince seated upon the throne exuded confidence, meeting the gaze of the two rulers without a hint of fear.

“Do you hear it?”

“The cries of the people surrounding this palace?”

“The rage of those who’ve been deceived and oppressed by your power?”

“You might kill me with your strength, but their fury will engulf this palace and consume you both in flames.”

“Understand this: the people have chosen me. Your era is over.”

At the prince’s bold declaration, a flicker of uncertainty and hesitation passed through the eyes of the Demon Queen and the Demon General.

The desperate, broken half-demon child they had banished eyes once brimming with despair was gone.

In his place sat a man who looked entirely at home on the throne, radiating authority as he stared down at them. His commanding presence was undeniable, a true descendant of the Demon King.

“So it was you,” the Demon Queen hissed, her venomous gaze turning toward the Silent Swordsman.

“You pulled that matchstick from the muddy streets and fanned it into this blazing fire.”

Her hatred bore down on the swordsman standing at the prince’s side the only one standing at the same height as him on the dais. Yet the Silent Swordsman’s expression remained unreadable, betraying neither doubt, discomfort, nor fear.

Her resolute actions and unwavering confidence had always reflected the indomitable will projected by the story mode’s portrayal of her character.

“Indeed, raw strength is not the only path,” the Demon Queen continued, her voice tinged with begrudging admiration. “If you were a mere rat, I’d crush you without a second thought. But I’ll concede—your arrogance has merit.”

Amid the tense standoff, the Demon Queen suddenly declared:

“Very well. I will relinquish the palace.”

“I’ll even allow a few of you to use the gate to the human world if that’s what you desire.”

“But on one condition: kill the Demon General.”

“You wretched traitor!” the Demon General bellowed, his fury now directed at the Queen.

“Do you think I’ll fall so easily? Never!”

“Follow me, prince!” he continued, his tone seductive as he addressed the young royal.

“Seize the gate to the human world by force, and together, we shall rule it! Imagine the future claiming the human realm and crushing the Demon Queen underfoot. Does your heart not race at the thought?”

“Once she falls, the Great Demon King will be next. Slay every ruler, both of the demon realm and the human realm, and inherit your father’s throne as the second Demon King!”

Neither side showed any intention of backing down.

Suddenly, the prince and his allies found themselves faced with a new set of choices.

【Interaction Choices】

[1] Ally with the Demon Queen. (Demon General Hunt Route)
[2] Ally with the Demon General. (Demon Queen Hunt Route)

The prince’s audacious resolve and the Silent Swordsman’s undeniable strength had driven a wedge between the two demons, inciting a dramatic internal conflict.

What had seemed like an impossible boss battle now presented a glimmer of hope.

“What will you do, Mother?” the prince asked, his tone brimming with trust. His unwavering loyalty to her was evident as he deferred to her judgment.

Meanwhile, with the countdown timer dwindling, Hae Eung Eung’s sharp eyes caught sight of Maga peeking out from behind a pillar, his lips moving silently as though trying to communicate something.

[Silent Techniques: Lip-Reading Mastery]

A skill distinct from martial arts, relying on keen eyesight and intelligence to decipher meanings through lip movements.

Even if they appear cooperative now, they’ll betray us once reinforcements arrive.

This is our chance while they’re off guard. We can either retrieve the relic from the treasure vault or escape through the gate leading to the human realm.

If neither seems feasible, fleeing the palace is also an option. Time is short—make haste, madam!

Using her lip-reading abilities, Hae Eung Eung caught on to Maga’s whispered suggestion.

This revelation created a new opportunity, hidden from the power-hungry eyes of the formidable yokai.

[Interaction Options]

1. Ally with the Yokai Queen (Defeat the Yokai General Route).
2. Ally with the Yokai General (Defeat the Yokai Queen Route).
3. Take advantage of the chaos to retrieve the Mirror of Clarity.
4. Escape to the human realm through the gate.
5. Flee the palace.

The Yokai Queen and General, consumed by their mutual hatred, continued their verbal sparring.

[If you side with the General to kill your enemies, what makes you think you’ll be spared later?]

[And what of the Queen’s cunning? If she could kill even the Yokai King, can you withstand her schemes, Prince?]

The options blinked insistently, urging a decision.

[Both of you make valid points,] the Prince mused aloud. [Truly, a difficult decision to make.]

From his throne, he observed it all. Though he didn’t know the full extent of Maga’s message to his mother, he grasped its implications. Feigning indecision, he stalled for her to act.

‘Indeed, this is an ideal opportunity. Securing the relic without confronting a field boss would save us the trouble.’

Hae Eung Eung’s purpose in visiting the yokai capital was clear: to obtain the Mirror of Clarity and find a way back to the human realm.

In the ensuing chaos, if she could achieve both goals, she wouldn’t need to endure the grueling battle against the imposing field boss.

[Interaction Options Updated Due to Time Elapsed]

1. Escape to the human realm.
2. Flee the palace.
3. Remain in place.

Knowing the easier paths, Hae Eung Eung still didn’t choose them.

Her determination was forged in the camaraderie of the past three days.

[Updated Interaction Options]

1. Escape to the human realm.
2. Flee the palace.
3. Enter battle alongside the Vanguard team.

The bonds forged in life-or-death struggles made them comrades-in-arms.

‘Abandoning my comrades? That’s not in my vocabulary.’

[Selected: Enter battle alongside the Vanguard team.]

Drawing her sword, Hae Eung Eung inspired Maga, Wendigo, and Boogieman, who braced themselves despite their fears.

The Yokai Queen and General confronted her determination.

[The time has come to choose,] they demanded. [Whose side will you take?]

In the audience chamber, tensions mounted as the boss battle loomed.

Hae Eung Eung and her Vanguard team had a decision to make. Would their enemy be the Yokai Queen, the Yokai General, or perhaps both?